SECURITY ALERT WITH JIDE

Trial of Nigeria’s ex-police chief stalled.

The scheduled arraignment of former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Gabriel Ehindero before an Abuja High Court was botched on Wednesday following the inability of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, to serve the charge personally on the former IGP and his co accused, John Obaniyi, a Commissioner of Police in charge of Budget under the tenure of Ehindero.

Both were slammed with a six count charge bordering on the misappropriation of about N567 million belonging to the Police force while at the helm of affairs at the force.

The former Inspector General of Police and the former Commissioner in charge of Budget were alleged to have conspired with one another between the months of May and November, 2006 to have used their position to confer corrupt advantages upon themselves by placing the sum of N300 million out of the N558 million donated to the Nigeria Police Force by the Bayelsa state Government for the procurement of arms, ammunition and riot control equipments, in a fixed deposit account at Wema Bank Plc where it yielded an interest of N9.8 million for them.

The former IGP was spotted at the court premises at about 8:13 a.m but was no where to be seen when the court resumed at about 10:49 am.

The ICPC, through its lawyer, Elijah Akaakohol, told the court that they had difficulties tracking down the former IGP to effect personal service on him as prescribed by the law.

He stated that they tried locating Ehindero at his chambers within the Central Business District of Abuja metropolis but were told by a lawyer in his chambers that the former IGP was attending a Bar Conference in Asaba, the Delta state capital.

Furthermore, he told the court that one Olufemi Ogunleye who works for Ehindero at his office tacitly collected the charge and signed for it on Ehindero’s behalf but however noted that it was not proper as it had to be a personal service on the ex police boss himself.

On the 2nd accused, Obaniyi, the lawyer informed the court that from the information received at the Police Headquarters, that he had been sacked from the force and his address from police records is at Akure, the Ondo state capital.

He subsequently sought for a short adjournment to enable the anti corruption agency effect personal services on the accused persons.

Ehindero’s lawyer, E. O Telah, opposed the application for an adjurment for the arraignment of the accused persons and urged the court to strike out the charge instead.

He argued that there were no materials before the court to show that any reasonable attempts were made to serve the accused persons personally.

His line of argument was ignored by Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, the presiding judge who insisted that since the only issue fixed for today by the court in the case was for the arraignment of the accused persons.

Justice Oniyangi posited that since personal service had not been effected on the accused persons as the law stipulates, the court will adjourn for the arraignment to take place.

He directed the ICPC to execute personal service of the accused before the next adjourned date of 28th June.

Ehindero and Obaniyi were also alleged to have placed another N200 million out of the Bayelsa state Government donation to the Force, in a fixed deposit account at Intercontinental Bank Plc where an interest of N6.5 million was yielded for them.

They allegedly converted all the interests that accrued from these fixed deposits to their personal use.