How Police Refused To Remit N15.036 Million To Treasury Single Account (TSA), 45 Rifles Missing, Auctioned Unclaimed Exhibits Without Public Notice
Forty five rifles were missing from different police formations across the country in 2015, the Auditor General annual report has revealed, according to Daily Trust.
The report, dated December 31, 2016, was laid on the floor of the Senate late last month.
Giving the breakdown, the report said the Nigeria Mobile Police Force, Squadron 43, Lagos State could not account for 25 rifles.
“Neither police investigation nor completed Part II and III of the Treasury Form 146 were presented for audit verification, in compliance with Financial Regulations 2604 and 2606.
“The Inspector General of Police has been requested to give up-to-date formal report of these missing rifles. Otherwise, the full weight of Financial Regulations 3101 and 3129 will be applied,” the report said.
The report also said at the Rivers State Police Command six AK-47 and two assault rifles, “were lost by a police officer,” adding that “147 rounds of ammunition were reportedly lost by the officers of the unit.”
At the Enugu State Police Command, the report said three rifles (one K-2 and two AK-47) were reported missing.
One assault rifle with 28 rounds of 5.56mm calibre ammunition was lost by a police inspector on duty on February 5, 2015 at the Divisional Police Office, Umuguma, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.
The division also auctioned 56 abandoned and unclaimed exhibit items of various descriptions without due process, the report said.
Similarly, at the Divisional Police Office, Umuagwo, Ohaji LGA of Imo State, the report said: “Five arms recorded in the Arms/Ammunition Return of September 19, 2013 could not be traced in the latest hand over note of the Armourer and Divisional Police Officer (DPO).”
At the Iho Divisional Police Office in Ikeduru LGA of Imo State, two LAR rifles could not be sighted by the team of auditors on inspection on October 12, 2015, while one LAR rifle was said to have been with one officer at ‘B’ Operation Department, Owerri, but no document was presented to authenticate the claim.
Other infractions by the division included an auction of 17 unclaimed exhibits without public notice and survey report and that the amount generated and how it was accounted for was not stated.
The Owerri Urban division could not produce a black Mazda saloon car, which was abandoned at the Mbaise Motor Park for audit inspection on October 13, 2015.
The Auditor General’s report indicated that the Divisional Police Office at Mgbidi, Oru LGA of Imo State could not account for N200, 000 exhibit and one Honda Shuttle as there was no evidence to show that they were transferred to Orlu Area Command as claimed by the division.
According to the report, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police of the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 8 headquarters, Lokoja refused to return a Toyota Hilux pick-up assigned to him while he was still in service. This is despite a letter of request for him to return it dated November 11, 2015.
The zonal headquarters carried out auctions of eight vehicles and three motorcycles without compliance with due process, transparency and accountability, the report said.
The report said the attention of the Inspector General of Police was drawn to the irregularities and that his responses were still being awaited.
The police force was also accused of auctioning abandoned and unclaimed exhibit items without compliance with due process, transparency and accountability.
There were also cases of missing vehicles and cash exhibit, which the police failed to account for, according to the report.
The report also indicted Force Headquarters of not fully complying with the directive on TSA during the period.
“During the audit examining of transfer of funds from commercial banks to Treasury Single Account in the Central Bank of Nigeria in compliance with the Federal Government directives, it was observed that a sum of N1.493bn was transferred from the Headquarters Pool Account with a commercial bank, leaving the balance of N15.036 million unremitted to the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
“The Inspector General of Police has been requested to comply with the government directive on TSA and remit the balance of N15.036 million, forwarding the relevant Bank Statement for verification.
The report also showed that the sum of N12.936 million was used to pay some staff of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Out of Pocket Expenses (OPE) on DTA and transportation for attending a workshop in Nasarawa State.
It said the workshop was an extra budgetary spending because it was not contained in the 2015 approved budget and that the commission could not produce the attendance sheet signed by the officers that participated in the workshop and the group photograph snapped.
“In view of the above mentioned anomalies, the payments could not be accepted as legitimate charges against public fund. The permanent secretary had been requested to recover the sum of N12.936m from the beneficiaries and pay back to chest, furnishing the payment particulars for audit verification. His response is being awaited,” the report said.
Source: Daily Trust
