Ibrahim Idris, Nigeria’s acting Inspector General of Police and his predecessor, Solomon Arase, are currently at war barely weeks after baton exchanged hands at the Police Headquarters in Abuja – and this is authoritative.
YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine gathered that the bone of contention, surprisingly, are cars. According to Idris, Arase upon exiting the force, allegedly went away with 24 cars! While the seven Deputy Inspectors-General of Police who also just quit the stage following Idris’ elevation, with the erstwhile IGP, equally departed with seven or eight cars each.
The cars said to be in Arase’s custody include two official bullet-proof BMW, 7 series. Idris stated this in an interview with press men on Sunday, July 17, 2016. Adding that efforts to retrieve the cars without this drama have so far proved abortive.
But firing back, Arase who was all smiles the day he handed over to Idris and obviously wasn’t expecting this, wondered what could have prompted this. Besides maintaining that the allegation is incredible, he also asked rhetorically: Am I planning to open a car shop with them or what?
Arase, it would be recalled, won’t be the first IGP to be accused of all sorts. Tafa Balogun, one of his predecessors, was accused of monumental fraud, arrested, handcuffed, arraigned and even jailed.
Two other IGPs who served before him are also on trail over allegations of corruption and so on.