Police committee denies corruption allegations

The National Working Committee of the Police Community Relations Committee has refuted allegations of corruption and abuse of office levelled against it.

The allegations were levelled by the National Welfare Secretary of the PCRC, Ngozi Dahiru, who is a member of the committee.

In a statement released on Saturday and signed by its Assistant National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Sale, the Committee responded to a petition filed by Dahiru, dated 21 July 2024, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

In the petition, Dahiru accused the Committee of misappropriating N29 million, which was collected from the registration of 3,957 PCRC members for identity cards, as well as N13 million generated through an election conducted in 14 states of the federation.

Dahiru, through her counsel, Omeiza Ibrahim & Co, also accused the NWC of failing to account for N3 million collected for a capacity-building programme in Borno/Yobe State, among other allegations.

The petition specifically named the PCRC Chairman, Mogaji Olaniyan, the Deputy National Secretary, Mary Samuel, and the National Treasurer, Hon. Maina Gana.

However, in the statement, Sale dismissed the allegations by the National Welfare Secretary against the Olaniyan-led NWC as fictitious and frivolous.

He stated that Dahiru was resentful and frustrated with the Committee because she was not appointed as the Coordinator of the PCRC National Women Committee.

The statement reads, “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) has been drawn to a sponsored online publication containing fictitious and frivolous claims by a disgruntled element who, along with a very small minority in the NWC — just 2 out of 25 members — continues to act as an obstacle to progress, all because she was not granted her desire to become the Coordinator of the PCRC National Women Committee at over 70 years of age.

“After several attempts to halt the unprecedented progress being made in the PCRC under the current NWC, led by the National Chairman, Alhaji Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan, this disgruntled individual, who has apologised multiple times for her unbecoming conduct on various occasions, can only be described as a sworn enemy of progress who seeks to drag her bitterness, rather than the PCRC, through the mud. It is on record that she has tried, on several occasions, to divide the NWC but has failed miserably, for reasons that now seem to have ethnic and political undertones.

“In the history of the PCRC, there has never been a time like now when the Committee’s work of bridging the gap between the Police and the community has been so effectively carried out across all the states of the federation, especially in the South-East, where this disgruntled individual, unfortunately, hails from.

“The people of the South-East are undoubtedly good people, as evidenced by the actions of all National Executive Council members from the South-East Geopolitical Zone who, in the midst of the troublemaker’s attacks, joined other State Chairmen, as well as the National Women and National Youth Committee leadership, in passing a vote of confidence in the leadership of the NWC led by the National Chairman, Alhaji Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan.”

The Committee noted that a series of petitions written by Dahiru have been investigated, adding that there is no truth to the claims that the NWC misappropriated funds.

It, therefore, urged the public, as well as all PCRC executives and members nationwide, to disregard the allegations, adding that it would take the necessary legal actions against Dahiru.

It added, “We implore well-meaning members of the public, and indeed all PCRC executives and members nationwide, to disregard in totality this latest attempt by the known enemy within the ranks of the PCRC in Nigeria and her cohorts to derail the unstoppable progress currently being witnessed through the hard work, commitment, and dedication of highly progressive officials across the country. With appropriate legal advice and broad consultations, the NWC will take all necessary actions as deemed appropriate.”