The
House of Representatives on Thursday threatened to issue a bench warrant for
the arrest of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, if he fails to
appear before its Committee on Police Affairs on January 19.
This followed the
adoption of a motion moved by Gabriel Onyenwife who condemned the continuous
refusal of the I-G to honour invitations of the Committee.
The Committee is
investigating alleged violation of the 2016 Appropriation Act by the Nigerian
Police Force.
Moving the motion, Mr.
Onyenwife noted that the police chief had failed to appear before the Committee
to explain why the force diverted N1.2 billion approved for the purchase of 10
armoured personnel carriers.
He said that instead of
using the approved sum to purchase the said carriers, the money was rather used
for the purchase of 64 Toyota Hiace Commuter vehicles, without the approval of
the National Assembly.
He also said that N6
billion was appropriated in the same act for rehabilitation of 102 police
stations nationwide, but the amount was diverted for other uses.
“These infractions of
the Appropriation Act 2016, the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, and the Public
Procurement Act 2007, are just two of the several infractions committed by the
Nigeria Police Force in the course of implementation of the budget,” Mr.
Onyenwife said.
According to him, the
Committee on Police Affairs invited the police chief on December 6, 2016 and
December 13, 2016 in his capacity as the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer
of the Force to explain or justify these perceived infractions.
“But he
failed or refused to honour the invitations or justify his failure or refusal
to attend,” Mr. Onyenwife stated.
The House, therefore,
resolved to summon the I-G to appear before the Committee unfailingly on Thursday
January 19. 2017, to justify the said infractions of the Appropriation Act
2016.
- NAN
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