About thirty Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the alleged contract splitting of about N6 billion and the illegal ceding of police barracks to friends and family by the Nigerian police leadership.
The civil societies made the demand in their resolution after a roundtable on corruption in the police held in Abuja.
The executive director of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa and Convener of Say No Campaign Nigeria, Comrade Ezenwa Nwagwu, said the group has also petitioned the House of Representatives and written to the police under the Freedom of Information Act to clarify the allegations in the petition.
The petition titled: “Petition by civil society groups call for urgent investigation into allegations of multi-billion-naira contract scam, massive official corruption, diversion of public funds, contract splitting and ceding of police barracks to cronies and family by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, NPM.”
The groups called for a thorough investigation into grave misconduct allegations against the IGP, “including multi-billion-naira contract scams, massive official corruption, diversion of public funds, contract splitting, and the unlawful ceding of police barracks to cronies and family members.”
The CSOs lamented that despite the allocation of over N7billion in the 2024 Appropriation Act and release of same for the purchase of police uniforms for officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police single-handedly awarded another contract of N6billion for the purchase of uniforms without following due process or Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval.
They said the new N6 billion contract was charged to the police‘s operational funds and was intended to purchase arms and operational vehicles needed to combat insecurity.
They further alleged that the contract was split into 66 places to override the approval limit of N100 million set for the IGP.
They urged the House to collaborate with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other relevant bodies to ensure a thorough probe and recovery of misappropriated funds.
They called for a review of Police assets and contracts through an audit of all police contracts, procurements, and asset transactions under the current IGP’s tenure to ascertain the extent of mismanagement and illegality.
The petition reads in part: “The Inspector General of Police as prescribed by the 7th Schedule of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended) among other things swore to discharge the duties of his office faithfully and honestly according to the Constitution, not to allow his interest to influence his official conduct or official decisions and that he will abide by the Code of Conduct contained in the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun PhD, NPM as the head of the Nigerian Police Force with the powers to exercise complete control and command over the police is mandated by section 4 of the Nigerian Police Act 2020 (as amended in 2024) with the responsibility of ensuring the prevention and detection of crime and ensuring that all laws and regulations are complied with all over Nigeria.
“The IGP is also bound by the Police Act 2020 and other regulations, which reinforce the principles of integrity, accountability, and public service.”
On the grounds of petition, they added: “That the 2024 Appropriation Act budgeted for the police the sums of N7.4 billion for the procurement of police uniforms for the 2024 budgetary year. Information available strongly suggests that the above budgeted sums were released and utilised for the procurement of Police uniforms for the year 2024.
“Strangely, by way of duplication, the Inspector General of Police, Egbetokun is alleged to have on the 16th of January 2024 through an internal memo CQ 6000/DLS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.83/946 unilaterally and without due regard to extant procurement laws and regulations approved and awarded a contract for the supply of police uniforms for the tune of N6 billion to Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc.
“The question that begs for an answer by this Honourable Committee is whether IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, is allowed by Nigerian legal frameworks to unilaterally approve and award a contract for the supply of ordinary uniforms to the tune of N6 billion?
“Nigerian procurement laws conclude that the IGP lacks the power to issue such a contract. For the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to legally award a six-billion-naira contract, he must adhere to the Public Procurement Act 2007, undergo competitive bidding, secure the Bureau of Public Procurement Review, and first obtain the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
“That is not all. It is also alleged by documents in the public domain that IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, in an attempt to circumvent the need to secure the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the IGP divided the N6 billion contract into 66 awards with each contract sum below N100 million.”
The petitioners further averred, „The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) sets monetary thresholds for contract approvals, which vary depending on the government entity. (e.g., Parastatal Tenders Board, Ministerial Tenders Board, or Federal Executive Council).
“Contracts above N100 million typically require BPP review, and high-value contracts running into billions require the approval of the FEC. It is safe to say that splitting contracts into smaller amounts to bypass approval thresholds, competitive bidding, or oversight is a direct violation of Section 20(2)(b) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007.
“Further to paragraph 4.0 above, it is alleged that not only did IGP Egbetokun divide the contract into over 60 awards in clear violation of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007, but the IGP also awarded all the 66 uniforms contracts to only one company, Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc.
“The actions of the IGP seem to support the allegation that Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc have direct ties to the IGP and that the IGP is using the company to divert public funds. Whether or not this is true is left for this Honourable Committee to investigate.
“Still violating the PPA 2007, the IGP split the N6 billion contract into three trenches of N2 billion each to pay his alleged cronies, Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc.
“To facilitate the first trench payment, the IGP, in a memo on the 19th of March 2024 titled ‘Re-Letter of Offer for the Production of Police Personal Uniform Textile Fabric’, approved the payment of the sum of N2 billion to Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc.
“The Director of Finance and Accounts of the Nigerian Police Force, Dandela A. Kassim on the 28th of March 2024 in responding to the memo of the IGP Egbetokun for the authorisation of the payment of the said sum of N2 billion wrote a letter to IGP Egbetokun titled: ‘Payment of N2 billion to Crown Natures Nigeria Plc Observation and Request for Authorization to Process Payment’ drew the attention of the IGP that such contract among other things is fraudulent, is in breach of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007, has already been budget for and funds released to that effect, that the approval of FEC is needed and that virement and splitting of contract is sanctionable and prohibited by the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007.
“It can be seen from the letter to the IGP by the Director of Finance and Accounts that the funds from which payment to Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc was to be made are operational. The Director pointed out that operational funds are meant only for arms, vehicles, and other operational purposes and should be used to curtail rising insecurity.
“Depletion of such funds will hamper the ability of the Force to fight crime. The NPF‘s Director of Finance and Accounts is an experienced expert on police budgets and expenditures.
“But bent on having his way, the IGP through AIG Adepoju A. Ilori, replied the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA) on the 2nd of April 2024 vide internal memo CB: 3900/PB/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.T/41 commanded the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA) to carry out the instructions of the IGP forthwith and make the said payment of N2billion to Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc, thereby deliberately ignoring the sound expert caution and warning of the DFA. The said N2 billion was eventually released to Messrs Crown Natures Nigeria Plc.”
The petitioners noted that another incident of alleged corruption against Egbetokun was the “fraudulent and large-scale disposal of police lands and barracks” to his “personal associates”, all in brutal disregard of due process of law and regulations.
They claimed that credible sources within the senior cadre of the Nigeria Police Force alleged that Egbetokun is linked to the illegal ceding of police lands and barracks under the guise of renovating them.
According to them, “it is alleged that IGP Egbetokun engaged in the illicit act of selling off police landed assets to his associates through one Hakeem Oguniran, CEO of Exima Realty Co Ltd, a Lagos-based real estate developer and childhood friend and investment partner of IGP Egbetokun, whom he engaged as the Nigeria Police Property Development Consultant.
“Through Exima Realty Co Ltd, the Jabi Police Barracks, Garki Police Barracks, Falomo Police Barracks, Bompai Police Barracks, Kano and other choice properties of the Nigeria Police Force have been ceded to the friends, relations and associates of IGP Egbetokun.
“Because of the welfare of police officers, adequate housing is crucial for the morale and effectiveness of police officers.
“Ceding barracks to private individuals would exacerbate the existing housing deficit within the police force, negatively impacting officers‘ welfare and operational readiness in these inflationary times.“
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