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JULY 2, 2007 VOL. 21, NO. 12

N21.5m Loot: An Interim Report

**Sunday Ehindero**

SUSPECTS:
I. CF. John Obaniyi ‘M’
II. DSP Olu Monday ‘M’
III. F/No. 414306 PC Elisha
Augustine “M”
I write to appraise Your Excellency on the investigation into
the case of suspected criminal conspiracy and theft by the above named public officers. The incident occurred on 7th of June 2007 at about O72Ohrs in the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja.
2. BRIEF FACTS OF THE CASE:
On receipt of an intelligence. report that large sums of money were being moved from the Budget office in the Force Headquarters to an unknown destination, I directed a team of operatives to mount surveillance at strategic locations within the FHQ building. The directive was to intercept, arrest and stop further movement of money out of the FHQ building by any budget personnel or any other Police officer.
2.1 On the 7th of June, 2007 at about O72Ohrs, the surveillance team who were posted to the 5th floor where the budget office is located, sighted one F/No. 414306 PC Elisha Augustine (the official driver of CP John Obaniyi former CP budget) coming out of the store on the 5th floor with a bag. They immediately accosted him and when the content of the bag was examined, it contained the sum of nine hundred thousand Naira (N900, 000.00). On enquiry, PC Elisha told them that he was sent to remove the money by DSP Olu Monday and that the money was meant for a DIG whose name and designation he did not mention.
2.2 The constable took the CIB operatives to the store from where he removed the money and a search was conducted. The sum of thirteen million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N13, 650,000.00) and seven million one hundred thousand Naira (N7, 100,000.00) was found in a bag and a carton respectively. The total amount of money recovered including the nine, hundred thousand Naira (N900, 000,000.00) was twenty-one million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira N21, 650,000.00). The constable was subsequently arrested.
3. Police Investigative Action:
On the receipt of the case, I instituted an investigative team and directed investigation should commence immediately. Statements were recorded from ASP Maji Michael. Danjuma Yahaya of the CIB and F/No 414306 PC Elisha Augustine, DSP Olu Monday and CF John Obaniyi also made cautionary, statements. Their houses were searched but nothing incriminating was found. The team also visited the store where the money was removed. The money recovered totaling about twenty-one million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21, 650,000.00) was registered as exhibit and kept in safe custody.
3.1 Please find bellow a brief synopses of the statements made by the Police witnesses and the suspects respectively. POLICE
WITNESSES:
i) ASP Maji Michael:
He is attached to CIB, FHQ Abuja. He stated that on the 7/6/ 2007, he and other operatives of the CIB, FHQ, Abuja were posted on surveillance duties within the FHQ; with the instruction to stop any movement of money by anybody out of the FHQ. He further stated that at about 0720 hrs he saw one PC Elisha Augustine attached to the budget office coming out from. one of the rooms under surveillance with a polythene bag. He went on to state that when he accosted the constable and looked inside the bag he saw a large sum of money amounting to nine hundred thousand Naira (N900,000,000.00) when counted.
On enquiry, the constable told him that he was taking the money to a DIG whose name he did not mention. On further interrogation, the PC admitted that it was DSP Olu Monday, PA to the former CP Budget who asked him to bring the money., He went with the constable to the store from where he removed the money, and on searching the place, they recovered a total sum of twenty-one million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21,650,000.00) including the nine hundred thousand (N900,000.00).
He averred that when DSP Olu Monday was contacted, he could not give a satisfactory account of the money but only managed to say that the money was part of the election fund. That the CF budget was in a better position to give an adequate account of the money. He concluded that the breakdown of the money recovered are: nine hundred thousand Naira (N900, 000. 00) contained in a polythene bag, seven million one hundred thousand Naira (N7,100, 000. 00) contained in a carton and the sum of thirteen million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N13,650, 000. 00) kept inside a navy blue traveling bag.
3.2 Statements of the Suspects:
i) F/No, 414306 PC Elisha Augustine:
He is a Police constable attached to the former CP budget as a driver. He stated that on the 7/6/2007 at about 0745hrs, DSP Olu Monday asked him to go to the store and bring out the sum of nine hundred thousand Naira (N900,000.00) for him in the office. He went there and took the money which was contained in a polythene bag and that on the 6th Floor of the FHQ. building he met a Police CIB man named Maji Michael (ASP) who stopped and asked him of the content of the bag. He told the officer that it was money and that he was taking it to a DIG.
He further stated that ASP Maji Michael took him back to the store and conducted a search where he recovered the sum of twenty-one million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21,650,000.00) including the nine hundred thousand Naira (N900,000.00) found with him. He concluded that although, he had been working for over two years in the budget office, he did not know that money was ever kept in the store.
ii) DSP Old Monday:
He is the liaison officer coordinating the budget office in FFIQ. Abuja/Lagos. He stated that the CP budget, instructed him to move the sum of twenty-one million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21,650,00000) to Assistant Commissioner, pay office in Area 11, but he kept the money in the store which he believed was safer as the drawer in the budget safe was not in a good condition.
He further stated that on the 07/06/2007, he instructed F/No. 414306 PC Elisha Augustine to get him the sum of nine hundred thousand Naira (N900,000.00) from the money to enable him balance the money utilised from the office vote in his possession. He averred that he could not take the money to the cash office because he was busy typing handing over notes and checking account balances in the bank. He stated that his main duty as PA to CP budget include typing of letters and memos, dispatching of urgent letters and other ad-hoc duties
iii) CF John Obaniyi:
He was the former Commissioner of Police in charge of Police budget at the Force headquarters, Abuja. He stated that, he was aware that the sum of nine hundred thousand Naira (N900,000.00) was found with F No. 414306 PC Elisha Augustine his official driver. He further averred that the sum of twenty-one million six hundred and fifty Naira (N21,650,000.00) recovered in one of the budget offices on 07/05/2007 at about O72Ohrs, was part of the one billion Naira (N1,000,000,000.00) contingency fund given to the Police for the 2007 general election special duty tour allowance.
That the former Inspector-General of Police gave directive on how the contingency fund was to be distributed. That a balance of about fifteen million eight hundred thousand Naira (N15,800,000.00) is still in the bank. He concluded by giving his account number at First Bank Plc. as1842010006244
4. Findings:
The following facts have so far emerged from the investigation:
i) That acting on a tip off, of the alleged movement of unspecified sums of money from the budget office located on the 5th floor at the Force Headquarters building to undisclosed locations, I directed a round-the-clock surveillance within and around the Force Headquarters with a view to unearthing the perpetrators of this unwholesome act.
ii) That the surveillance paid off, when on 07/06/2007 at about O72Ohrs two CIB operatives caught one F/No. 414306 PC Elijah Augustine “M’.(the official driver to the former CP budget) with the sum of nine hundred thousand Naira (N900,000.00) which he removed from a store on the 5th floor.
iii) That the CIB operatives conducted a search in the store where the Constable removed the money and recovered the sum of thirteen, million six hundred and fifty. thousand Naira (N13,650,000.00) and seven million one hundred thousand Naira (N7,100.000.00) in a bag and a carton respectively, all totaling twenty one million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21,650,000.00).
iv) That the Police Constable was sent to remove the nine hundred thousand Naira (N900,000.00) by DSP Olu Monday, the PA to the former CP Budget who admitted keeping the twenty-one million six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21,650,000.00) in the, store.
v) That the money in question wás part of the one billion Naira (N1,000.000,000.00) received from the Federal Government and meant for the 2007 general elections special duty tour allowance.
5. Comments/Conclusion: The facts of this case point to the offence of Conspiracy, Criminal Breach of Trust and Theft. This is evidenced by the calculated design where a large sum of twenty-one million, six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21,650,000.00) which should have been lodged in a bank or placed in the safe, was kept in a store room containing closed office files and empty cartons.
6. It is disappointing that the Commissioner of Police (Budget) lied to me, when I conducted an on-the-spot check in his office on the. 06/06/2007.
He had told me that the cash balance in his possession was the sum of Four Million Naira (N4 Million) and Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars (USD 200,000) meant for payment of allowances for officers and men who had participated in Peacekeeping Operations outside the country. Subsequently, he admitted during interrogation on discovery of the twenty-one million, six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21,650,000.00) that he knew the balance was in a store in his office. The non disclosure of this fact is sufficient proof that he wanted to do away with the money, without the knowledge of the Force Management.
7. I have directed that CP John Obaniyi, the erstwhile officer in charge of Budget be issued with query for Negligent Act, Discreditable Conduct and Conduct Prejudicial to discipline. He has also been suspended from duty pending when a thorough investigation is concluded.
8. I have repeatedly restated my Zero tolerance for corruption in the Force, and will do all within my power to clean the augean stable.
The officer has deliberately embarrassed the Force by his conduct.
Meanwhile, the sum of twenty-one million, six hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N21,650,000.OO) recovered from the officer will be deposited in an escrow account pending the conclusion of investigation.
9. Further development will be promptly communicated, Sir.

Being the report of investigation of a case of suspected theft of police funds by some officers.