••Civil Society Groups Petition ICPC, Call for IGP Egbetokun to Explain Spending
By OBSERVERS TIMES
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have issued a strong call for accountability, demanding that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun provide a comprehensive explanation regarding alleged misappropriation of N234 billion within the Nigeria Police Force. The demand was made during a roundtable discussion on Police Reform and Accountability held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Ezenwa Nwagwu, Convener and Executive Director of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), stressed that the CSOs are not making accusations, but rather raising critical questions in the public interest, aiming to restore public trust in the policing system.
“Could it be true that On January 16, 2024, through internal memo CQ 6000/DLS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.83/946, IGP Egbetokun reportedly approved the award of a N6 billion contract for the supply of police uniforms, an amount well beyond his approval threshold.
“To evade financial regulations, the contract was alleged to have been illegally split into sixty-six (66) separate awards, each valued under N100 million, all awarded to a single company, a certain Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc, in direct violation of the Public Procurement Act.
“To fund this massive irregularity, IGP Egbetokun allegedly diverted N6 billion from the Police Internal Security Operations budgetary allocation, money originally meant to enhance operational readiness in combating internal threats.
“Shockingly, this diversion occurred despite the Police Force already receiving and utilizing a N7.34 billion allocation in the 2024 budget for the procurement of uniforms.”
“Reports circulating on social media that over N234 billion may have been mismanaged under the current administration of the Police Force call for serious concern and deserve a transparent and detailed response or explanation,” Nwagwu stated.
The CSOs highlighted several specific allegations, including:
- Contract Splitting: Claims that a N6 billion contract for police uniforms was divided into 66 smaller contracts to bypass procurement thresholds, despite a prior budgetary allocation.
- Fund Diversion: Allegations that N6 billion was diverted from the Police Internal Security Operations budgetary allocation to fund the aforementioned uniform contract, even though N7.34 billion was already allocated for uniforms in the 2024 budget.
- Asset Disposal: Concerns over the alleged sale and ceding of police barracks and assets to individuals with personal ties to senior police leadership, bypassing due process.
Nwagwu questioned the role of private companies like Crown Natures Nigeria Plc and Exima Realty Co. Ltd in these transactions, and whether proper approval processes were followed. He also raised concerns about the reported disregard for advice from the Police Director of Finance and Accounts.
The CSOs have taken concrete steps to address these allegations, including submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Police and filing a petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for a thorough investigation.
“We reaffirm our belief that reform and accountability must go hand-in-hand,” Nwagwu said. “Nigeria deserves a police force that is not only well-equipped but also beyond reproach in its use of public funds.”
