Reps probe MINT N2.1bn theft, Oshiomhole aide’s murder

The House of Representatives on Thursday said it would investigate the theft of N2.1bn at the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company last December.

It also ordered a probe into the alleged cover-up by the police in the investigation of the killing of Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde, the late Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Following a motion by the Chairman, Committee on Rules/Business, Mr. Albert Sam-Tsokwa, the House resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the stealing of N2.1bn from the MINT.

Sam-Tsokwa said the December incident was the second known case of large sums of money, which disappeared from the company.

He observed that it was possible that there could be other unreported cases of theft before the latest one.

Sam-Tsokwa added, “There has been conflicting information on the actual amount of money declared missing. While the CBN governor said it was N2bn, the management of the company had claimed that the amount was N1.5m.”

The lawmaker argued that though some punitive measures, including the sacking of 39 employees of the company had been taken, the House was still interested in knowing the details of the theft.

The ad-hoc committee was given four weeks to conduct the investigation.

On Oyerinde’s murder, the House directed its Joint Committee on Police/Justice to investigate Oshiomhole’s accusation that a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Peter Gana, allegedly covered up the investigation of the killing.

A lawmaker from Edo State, Mr. Pally Iriase, who moved a motion on the matter, told the House that Gana’s alleged “misconduct and unprofessional” handling of the case showed that the safety of Nigerians could not be guaranteed in the hands of the police.

Iriase also described as “curious”, the alleged refusal of the police to arraign the six suspects the State Security Service arrested in connection with the murder.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Labour Congress on Thursday accused the Police of knowing those who killed Oyerinde.

President of the Congress, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, who stated this in an electronic mail, challenged the police to find his killers.

Omar urged the Inspector-General of Police to reopen the case and ensure that those who killed him were brought to justice.

He said, “We are convinced the police know who Olaitan Oyerinde’s killers are, and are buying time believing that soon, Nigerians will put the murder behind them, and become uninterested in the search for the murderers.”
-Punch

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Posted by admin on Jan 18 2013. Filed under Edo, Headlines, House, Legislature, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry