New IG of Police Accuses Retired IG Arase of Taking Away 24 Police Vehicles

Ibrahim Idris and Solomon Arase

 

Speaking at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Sunday, the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, has asked his predecessor, Solomon Arase to return the excess number of police vehicles he took away on departure from office.

 

The Police boss accused the former IGP of taking away 24 vehicles including top of the range armoured BMW cars, and has written to Arase to return at least 20 vehicles, saying he should not have more than four cars as part of his severance package, adding that some of the retired Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), took away as many as eight vehicles.

 

“So, what I am telling you is that I have signed a directive to my SIP (I have a special investigation panel, I set it up). It is going to investigate all the vehicle purchases, contributions to the police and the distribution of those vehicles in the last three years; we are going to look into that.

 

“A week before I was announced (appointed), if you looked through my office window, you could see so many cars. But the cars all disappeared when I came in. What I did was to assign a directive to the Special Investigative Unit (SFU) to investigate all vehicles’ purchases and donations to the police in the last three years as well as their positions.

“When I took over, there were no vehicles. I discovered that the last IG went away with 24 vehicles including two BMWs. The DIGs some took seven, others eight. And they left me with an old vehicle. Even the one I followed the President with – the last time I went for an engagement – the President asked what I was doing with that kind of vehicle. The headlight has changed colour, which means it was parked for long under the rain.

“But the new ones that were bought, including an Armoured BMW 7 series, he took them away. So, I wrote to him and reminded him that when a policeman retires as IG, DIG, AIG or CP, he is entitled to some vehicles. And so, he should take his entitlement and return the extra. I believe four vehicles are enough for an average person. What does one need 24 vehicles for?,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, a source close to former IGP Arase said he could not have taken 24 vehicles, adding that he is only being vindictive having been queried by Arase for a wrong doing as an AIG.