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| NEWS > 18 June 2007 |
Other related articles:
Meerut police turn ‘moral’ hoo
“Operation Majnu”, purportedly a drive in Meerut against indecency and eve-teasing in public wherein police assaulted young couples in a park on Tuesday in the full glare of TV cameras, has snowballed into a major controversy.
The Meerut police had in a well-planned and co-ordinated operation taken the press, both print as well as electronic, along and cracked down brutally on people lounging in Gandhi park.
The operation was telecast live by some TV news channels. Locals reacted strongly against the incident.
Taking a serious view of the police action, the ... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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Daily Sun - Apapa,Lagos,Nigeri
18 June 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Nigeria: The scandal at Force
Recently, the abysmally poor image of the Nigeria Police received yet another major bashing with the reported involvement of the immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Sunday Ehindero, and a Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of Budget, Mr. John Obaniyi, in a scandal involving an attempt by two policemen to remove N21.6 million from Force Headquarters, Abuja, in the early hours of Thursday, June 7, 2007.
The policemen, a constable who worked as a driver to Obaniyi and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) attached to his office, identified Obaniyi, whose car was used for the illegal operation, as the boss that gave the directive for the movement of the cash.
The police preliminary investigation of the incident, which report has since been submitted to President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua, has been reported to have indicted Ehindero and recommended his trial for conspiracy and stealing. Some media reports indicate that Ehindero has confessed his involvement in the incident to the investigation team, although some of his aides, who claim to be speaking on his behalf, are insisting on his innocence.
The Acting IGP, Mr Mike Okiro, has since confirmed the suspension of CP John Obaniyi and his two unidentified aides. Ehindero’s movement was earlier reported to have been restricted with orders to monitor his movement. Obaniyi, earlier detained at Force Headquarters, has been released on bail on self-recognition. The money in contention is believed to be allowances for policemen on election duties and peace keeping operations illegally withdrawn from police accounts.
The involvement of former IGP, Ehindero, in the N21 million scam at Force Headquarters is a very sad and unfortunate development. The situation is worrisome given the fact that his predecessor in office, Mr. Tafa Balogun, was kicked out of office in a disgraceful manner over a monumental N17 billion fraud charge.
We condemn the latest scandal. It is suggestive of irredeemable moral bankruptcy of the police leadership in Nigeria. This situation becomes even more condemnable in the face of the suffering and neglect of the welfare of the rank and file of the police who labour under very difficult conditions and earn pitiable wages.
The neglect of policemen in Nigeria coupled with the hitherto laissez faire attitude of the top echelon of the Force to fraud and corruption can only encourage and institutionalise corruption in the system. There is no gainsaying the fact that with a leadership so blatantly corrupt, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to fight corruption in the system.
Luckily, the nation has a new Acting IGP, Mike Okiro, who is expected to go beyond palliatives to thoroughly sanitise the system. Nigerians expect to see a difference in the force especially with regard to the welfare of policemen and corruption, both in the hierarchy and the rank and file.
It is good that the preliminary investigative report into the latest scandal is out. Nigerians are very interested in knowing what actually happened and the extent of the involvement of the former IG in the scam. We expect a full probe to properly and conclusively identify the source and destination of the money in question. Okiro must take cognisance of the many inconclusive cases that have been brushed under the carpet in the country and avail Nigerians all the details of this scandal.
This is one case in which identified culprits must not be treated with kid gloves, as in the case of Tafa Balogun. Culprits must be made to face the wrath of the law by way of stiff penalities as this is the only way to make a break from the tradition of impunity and corruption in high places in the police. This is not a matter for police espirit de corps to cover up what is clearly a criminal financial roguery.
The N21.6 million scandal at Louis Edet House offers President Umaru Yar’Adua a good opportunity to demonstrate his widely flaunted aversion to corruption. If the new president wants to fight and be seen as fighting corruption, the N21.6 million scandal offers him a golden opportunity to do so. There is the need to send a clear message that this government is ready to do what is necessary to address the problem of corruption in the police.
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