Sunday Ehindero, a former inspector general of police (IGP), on Thursday appeared before an Apo district high court, Abuja, over an alleged N578 million fraud.
Ehindero was arraigned alongside a former police commissioner, John Obaniyi, on a six-count charge of allegedly misusing N557,995,065 donated by the Bayelsa state government for purchasing equipment for “proper policing of the state”.
A sum of N16 million, which was interest generated from the donated fund, was according to the charge, diverted for the personal use of the defendants.
The charge also alleged that the defendants lied to officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), saying that the interest generated from the donated fund was used in an official capacity.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge. They were granted bail and the case was adjourned to June 19.
The ICPC had on April 11 said it would resume the prosecution of Ehindero and Obaniyi, who were first arraigned in 2012 over the same charges.
The defendants had filed a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the federal high court on the matter and it eventually landed at the supreme court.
The supreme court in December told the defendants to return to the trial court and face the charges levelled against them.
