The Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday announced the suspension of four officers implicated in the theft of ₦43.16 million from a total of ₦74.95 million recovered during an unauthorised arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, said the officers—DSP Peter Ejike, Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode were found guilty of conspiring to tamper with exhibits, abuse of office, and other acts of misconduct.

According to Adejobi, the officers, led by Inspector Okafor under DSP Ejike’s directive, arrested Andrew Ejah, an employee of FATFAD Cargo Nigeria Limited, who was transporting the cash on behalf of clients in August 2023.

The officers were alleged to have reported only ₦31.79 million as the recovered amount, concealing the remaining ₦43.16 million. Following a petition by the owners of the money, the case was escalated to the IGP Monitoring Unit.

Adejobi said investigations revealed that the officers conspired to steal part of the cash and attempted to hide their tracks by claiming technical issues with evidence and spreading false narratives.

He said, “Upon being contacted by the alleged owners of the money, the officers claimed that the sum they had recovered from the arrested suspect was N31,790,000, and requested a percentage of the money to jeopardise investigation and suppress the case. Outraged by their actions, the money owners petitioned the Force Headquarters, Abuja and the matter was directed to the IGP Monitoring Unit for investigation.

During the process, the cash sum of N31,790,000 was recovered from the officers, who claimed that it was the total money recovered from Andrew Ejah during his arrest.

“After intense investigations and a series of trials, before duly constituted disciplinary panels, it was discovered that the officers took photographs of the suspect and the sacks of monies at the point of arrest but claimed the phone they used was damaged and subsequently lost, in an attempt to conceal their misconduct.

He added that they resorted to several tricks and gimmicks to cover their tracks, including the spread of false narratives and misinformation to several online blogs and newspaper platforms.

“These officers have been suspended, being found culpable of serious misconduct, tampering with exhibits, abuse of office, corrupt practice, illegal duty, and acts unbecoming of a police officer,” the statement added.

Adejobi condemned what it described as a “sponsored misinformation campaign” aimed at implicating the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in the scandal.

He also dismissed allegations suggesting that the IGP is shielding a cartel accused of smuggling suspicious new banknotes from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Grassroot parrot

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West) engaged in a heated exchange during Tuesday’s plenary session over the controversial operations of the Port Harcourt refinery.

Following the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)’s announcement last week that the refinery had commenced operations, doubts have been raised, with many questioning its actual functionality, including some industry experts.

During the plenary, Akpabio revealed plans to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate the status of the refinery, a move that sparked further debate.

Senator Wadada took the floor, citing concerns over “technical issues” surrounding the refinery’s operations, and requested the Senate’s involvement to clarify the matter.

Akpabio countered, asserting that the government had already received praise for the refinery’s launch and suggested that Wadada present his concerns formally through a motion rather than via social media.

Wadada, visibly frustrated, responded, saying, “With all due respect, do not associate me with social media issues.”

The Nasarawa senator also criticized Akpabio for not addressing a revenue tax concern he raised months ago, which had not been acted upon.

In his defense, Akpabio responded, saying he had reviewed the document but reiterated that Wadada should formally present it during a plenary session.

Finally, Akpabio reaffirmed that the Senate would set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the refinery’s operational status, with findings to be discussed in a future session.

The House of Representatives has issued a directive to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to mandate the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to unfreeze all accounts belonging to the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) within a 72-hour timeframe.

The resolution was reached following the adoption of a motion sponsored by the deputy speaker and 20 other lawmakers on Tuesday.

Lawmakers voiced their displeasure, arguing that despite the programmes of NSIPA being vital for poverty alleviation, youth empowerment, and economic inclusivity in Nigeria, the agency’s functionality has been hindered due to administrative bottlenecks, insufficient funding, and frozen accounts.

The president had ordered a halt of the programmes of NSIPA following allegations of financial mismanagement by overseers of the programmes.

The suspension also led to the freezing of the agency’s accounts.