ICPC drills former police IG, PSC boss, Mike Okiro over N350m fraud
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Thursday drilled a former Inspector General of Police and the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro for more than six hours over fraud related allegations.
The drilling according to sources in the anti-graft agency was in connection with a petition against the 
former Nigeria police boss by a staff in the Police Service Commission, PSC, where he is the chairman.
The staff, Mr Aaron Kaase had petitioned the agency alleging Okiro of large scale fraud. It was based on this petition the PSC boss went to the ICPC office on invitation. Okiro was said to have arrived at the agency office agency around 9.30am with his commission chief accountant, Bisala and other two personnel.
Aaron Kaase, a Principal Admin Officer (Press and Public Relations Unit) of the PSC had written a petition titled: “Petition against sir(Dr ) Mike Mbama Okiro, Chairman, Police Service Commission for corruption, abuse and fraudulent act to Swindle the Police Service Commission to the Tune of N275,525,000 (Two Hundred And Twenty Five Million,Five Hundred And Twenty Five Thousand Naira Only.”
Kaase who has been sacked because he bursted the scam said in the petition he did what he is being persecuted upon based on his findings and concern as a citizen of Nigeria and a staff of the Police Service Commssion, whose civic responsibility amongst others includes fighting corruption in our society.
In the petition Mr Kaase stated as follows: “As a build up to the 2015 General Elections, the Police Service Commission relying on provisions of its establishment Act, sought for and obtained the sum of N350,000,000.00 (Three Hundred and Fifty Million Naira only) from the National Security Adviser(NSA) purportedly to train her (sic) staff in Monitoring the conduct of the Nigeria Police in the concluded General Election.
“With the funds in hand of the Commission, as statutorily required, the Commission sought for approval to use same vide two letters to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) with Ref No.PSC:1499/VOL/111/138 dated March 12 and received on March 19,2015, the Commission requested for the issuance of “No objection” to adopt selective tendering Method for the training of Commission staff on Monitoring of Police conduct during the 2015 general elections.
“The Chairman of the Commission quoted the prices for the training as follows: Abuja (Abuja staff) 500 participants, awarded to Bobec & Associates at N95.3 million ; Kano staff (200 participants) awarded to Direct Knowledge Consult limited at N95 million and Lagos staff, 200 participants awarded to Tzone Communications Ltd at N85 million”.
“The entire Police Service Commissions staff are not up to 400. “It is also a fact that the Commission has no office in Lagos and the entire South West. It is also a fact that the Commission has less than 10 members of staff in Kano”. he said.
The petitioner further accused the commission’s chairman of fraudulently deceiving the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP to obtain an approval for the scam on March 23,2015 with reference No.BPP/S.I/15/VOL.1/050 to carry out the fraud.
It was further alleged that Okiro also collected the sum of N4.6 million as first class ticket to travel to the U.S in 2013 without doing so”.
He further stated in the petition, “An example was when he collected the sum of N3, 601, 000.00, his Police orderly, Inspector George Todonu collected the sum of N1, 131, 000.60, to attend the conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police from 25th-28th October, 2014 in Orlando, Florida USA, which held in Dublin, Ireland on the 28th of October, 2014, which held at the same time without attending none.”
The former police chief was also accused to have used his personal aides as front to collect DTA and other allowances namely; Supreme Ibitomi and CSP Peter Opara and other S.As.
He used them to collect over N2million as DTA during the March 28 and April 12, 2015 general elections.
While the ICPC are doing their investigation which they promise to be thorough, Kaase had also sent the following petition to President Buhari with caption:
“President Buhari must sack Chairman, Police Service Commission , Mike Okiro.”
As a fallout to my letters accussing Mr. Mike Okiro, Chairman Police Service Commission of fraud(419) and gross corruption which were sent to the EFCC and ICPC which I have evidence, Mr. Okiro has unleashed the Nigeria Police force on me and my colleague Mr. Raymond Amase.
On Tuesday and Thursday, we were guests of the police anti tracking and interception unit under the office of the IGP, but housed within the premises of the SARS at old abattoir in Garki, Abuja.
The Police are acting on a supposed complaint by Mr. Okiro for allegedly leaking official information and defamation of his character.
The question here is, with the Freedom of information act now in place, is there anything like the Secrets Oath? And what is defamation when there is an official and signed petition against you before the anti- graft agencies?
This is also happening in fragrant disobedience to a court motion on notice in a N500,000,000 suit against Mike Okiro, Suprem Ibitomi and the IGP before Justice O.O Goodluck of the FCT high court restraining the respondents not to take any actions until the determination of the suit slated for mention on the 30/6/2015.
In furtherance to disregard for our laws, Mr. Okiro convened a plenary session of the PSC on the 27th of May 2015 and took a unilateral decision to suspend me from office and backdated it to 21st May 2015, the same day the court motion on notice was served on him and the Commission.
I am still amazed as to whether the back dated decision was forged by one Mr. I be, Director Administration and Finance of PSC or whether it was actually a decision of respected members of the Commission including a retired Supreme Court judge? I maintain that when you fight corruption, it fights back and I have seen now that by exposing this corrupt and. Powerful government official, my salary has been stopped through this kangaroo suspension, but am not deterred.
Corruption must be fought headlong and it’s not just the responsibility of Mr. President but all citizens holding public office no matter what position they may occupy.
I also want to submit that if Mr. Okiro is not suspended on that seat, no meaningful investigation may come out of EFCC as the head of the organisation, been a serving police officer who is an employee of PSC and benefits from promotion from the agency may not act as he should. A mere Google of the name Mike Okiro brings unpleasant memories of fraud.
May God help Nigeria. By Monday I will be in the industrial court to challenge my phantom suspension.
Aaron Kaase, Principal Admin. Officer, Police Service Commission
