The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts on Monday issued seven-day ultimatum to Ibrahim Idris, Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide evidence of missing ammunition between 2010 and 2013.
Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers) issued the notice during the investigative hearing on the 55 queries issued by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (oAGF) against Nigeria Police within the period under review.
According to the report, four rifles were missing along with the cash exhibits while four different brands of pitols were also declared missing in 2012.
The lawmakers who frowned at the non-responsiveness of Nigeria Police to the queries issued by oAGF expressed concern over the explanation that a dead police officer, (names withheld) refunded exhibit money of N1.998 million in response to the inquiry of the Committee in November 2016.
The oAGF in the report alleged that cash exhibits worth N928,000 was missing in 2011; N100,000 in 2012 and N720,000 (totaling N1.998 million) and a laptop worth N250,000 were missing within the period under review.
While responding, Aliyu Oba, Nigeria Police’s Director of Finance, who was accompanied by J. O. Egbunike, Chief Superintendent of Police, argued that the police had substantially complied to the directive of the committee by furnishing the Committee’s Secretariat with relevant documents.
Unsatisfied by his explanation, Chinda however observed that: “most of the information supplied to the Secretariat were not in order and there’s a need for you to liaise with the Secretariat and make relevant corrections.”
He further ruled that: “on the issue of finance, we may step that down till the next 14 days for you to put your documents in order or we shall apply the rules accordingly.
“For instance, you claimed that the IPO in charge had refunded the exhibit cash that AuGF demanded for and he also responded to the forms we asked you to fill.
“One Mr. Nasir Musa who replaced the late IPO, could he have gotten the money from the late IPO as you reflected in your report?” Chinda asked.
Other members of the Committee also asked the Director of Finanace and Administration whether it was possible the new IPO visited the graveyard of the dead IPO to collect the money?
In his response the DFA said: “I thought the bottom line is that the money was returned.
“I want to plead for understanding, so that I can withdraw the first set of forms and do a tidier job in the next hearing,” he urged.
While ruling on the submissions, Chinda mandated the Nigeria Police delegation to appear before it next week Wednesday with comprehensive report on the queried s raised by the AGF.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
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