The 24 cars, which the Acting
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, accused the immediate
past IGP, Solomon Arase, of taking away, while leaving office, have been
located at auto repair shop.
This discovery came moments after
Arase chided Idris to cross check his handover notes, which
contains information on vehicles bought by the Nigeria Police Force.
Idris on Sunday said that Arase went
away with 24 cars, while his management team, also left with cars that were
supposed to have been left behind.
Idris said: “A letter to that effect
has been sent to the Arase, who left with 24 cars. The Deputy Inspectors General
of Police (DIGs) also left with cars they weren't supposed to. A week before I
was announced, you could see so many cars once you look out of my window. But
the cars have all disappeared. What I did was to direct the Special
Investigative Unit (SFU), to investigate all vehicles' purchased and donated to
the police in the last three years as well as their locations.
"When I took over, there were
no vehicles. I discovered that the last IG went away with 24 vehicles,
including two BMWs. As for the DIGs, some took seven, others eight. And they
left me with an old vehicle.”
It was alleged that the cars were
sent to auto repair shop located at Jabi District, Abuja. It was also alleged
that one of the cars, a BMW, has been completed and repainted.
A source further said: “The spare
staff car had been having engine problem in the last five years before the last
administration sent it for repairs.”
A source at the auto shop alleged
that the car had been delivered to the police headquarters on Sunday afternoon,
after completion of repairs. He added that officials of the company would soon visit
the Idris to demand payment for the work.
According to the auto shop source,
another official car; armoured plated staff car, would take time in fixing
because of its high technology. He said that some parts needed to be imported.
“Nobody approached our company to
ask about the whereabouts of the cars. It was the police that brought them,”
said the source.
It was alleged that Works Department
and Transport Department of the police, which could have provided answers to
the alleged missing vehicles, were not asked.
Instead, the present IGP’s secretariat,
filled with newly posted officers, wrote Arase, demanding the whereabouts of
the cars. It was also said that all the vehicles have records and their
locations known.
Arase, in a statement issued, from
London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom, where he
went for his son's graduation, denied receiving any letter from
Idris.
According to him, all vehicles bought by the police under him were distributed to the state commands and other appropriate units of the Nigeria Police Force.
The statement further states:
"I suspect there must be a disconnection somewhere because information
needed by my successor is provided in my hand-over notes. I'm also not aware
that any letter was written to me. If there was any dropped at my house,
someone would have alerted me. It's unfortunate that this matter is being
made a media issue because my successor has my telephone number and could have
called me for any clarification or even sent me a text, rather than addressing
the media on an issue well documented in my hand-over notes."
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