President Bola Tinubu has removed retired Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase as the chairman of the Police Service Commission.
The presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale disclosed this in a statement on Monday, announcing his replacement: DIG Hashimu Argungu (Rtd) as the new chairman of the commission.
The statement said, “President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of DIG Hashimu Argungu (Rtd) as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
“The President has also approved the appointment of Chief Onyemuche Nnamani as Secretary and DIG Taiwo Lakanu (Rtd) as Member of the Commission.
“The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate. Other members of the Police Service Commission will be appointed in due course.
“Furthermore, the President has approved the appointment of Mr. Mohammed Sheidu as the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) with immediate effect.
“The President expects absolute demonstration of integrity, diligence, and patriotic zeal in the discharge of these important functions for the overall wellbeing of the Nigeria Police and the nation.”
Arase’s removal comes four days after The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) petitioned the president concerning an alleged abuse of office by the former Chairman of the PSC, Arase, calling for his suspension and investigation.
The petition, dated June 6, and signed by The ICIR Executive Director, Dayo Aiyetan, followed an alleged intimidation of ICIR staff members by the police under Egbetokun after an investigative report published by the organisation linked Arase to an alleged shady land deal involving the sale of police residential quarters when he was the IGP.
The ICIR investigation had alleged that some police officers assisted a contractor and Managing Director of Copran international Limited, Andy Chime, to forge the signature of a deceased Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Saleh Abubakar, to secure a contract.
Chime was alleged to have used the documents to obtain a loan of N573 million from the Nigeria Police Mortgage Bank and also allegedly unlawfully deployed the houses on the land as collateral, thus short changing the police.
According to the report, two former IGPs, Ibrahim Idris and Arase allegedly got house allocations worth over N200 million as incentives for awarding an estate development contract to Copran International Limited owned by Mr Chime, for land originally meant to be used as police barracks.
Those copied in the petition include: The National Security Adviser; Minister of Information and National Orientation; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs; Chairman of the House of Representative Committee on Media and Publicity.
Others are: Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission; President of the International Press Institute; President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists; and President Nigerian Guild of Editors.
The ICIR made four demands which are:
The institution of an independent investigation devoid of police involvement, into the allegations of fraud and corruption running into billions of naira in the sale of police property.
An instruction to the Inspector General of Police to desist from allowing the NPF-NCCC (Nigerian Police Cyber Crime Centre) or any other arm of the Nigeria Police to intimidate, molest or threaten the ICIR, its Trustees and reporters, for pursuing their legitimate duties as mandated by section 22 of the Constitution.
An instruction to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr Solomon Arase, to desist from further abusing and using his office to intimidate, harass, or threaten the ICIR, its Trustees, and reporters who are engaged in legitimate duties as mandated by Section 22 of the Constitution.
The suspension of Solomon Arase from office as Chairman of the Police Service Commission to pave way for an independent investigation of abuse of office and corruption against him as contained in the petition and the ICIR investigative report.