N500m Fraud: Ex-Police IG, Ehindero, Docked

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The federal government

Ehindero

thursday re-arraigned a former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, over allegations of corruption and fraud.

Ehindero, alongside a former Police Commissioner, John Obaniyi, were re-arraigned on a six-count charge for alleged fraud.

They were accused of misusing N557,995,065: donated by the Bayelsa State Government for the purchase of arms.

The defendants, who were arraigned at an Apo District High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Their counsel, Eyitayo Tella, however, urged the court to admit them to bail.
The trial Judge, Justice Sylvanus Oriji, admitted the defendants to bail, based on the previous conditions and adjourned the matter to June 19 for trial.

According to the charge, the fund was diverted into separate accounts owned by the defendants, where it generated an interest of N16,412,315.00.

The generated interest was allegedly used for the defendant’s personal objectives.

The charge also alleged that the defendants lied to officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) when they told two of the commission’s staff upon enquiry about the diverted funds, that the generated interest was used for official purposes.

Ehindero and Obaniyi were first arraigned in 2012 by the ICPC for the alleged offences.

They however filed a preliminary objection, challenging the competence of the charge against them and asked the trial court to suspend their trial pending the determination of the appeal at the higher court.

Delivering judgment on the appeal, the Supreme Court last December, however, ordered the defendants to return to the trial court and face the charge against them.