No 19 Police Vehicles Recovered From Me—Arase

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The immediate past Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has debunked reports on Monday that 19 out of 24 vehicles belonging to the police he allegedly went away with after his retirement had been recovered from him.

The ex-police chief, in a statement on Monday, said some forces were bent on tarnishing his respected name built over time during his meritorious service to Nigeria.

He warned that if the ‘campaign of calumny’ continued, he might be forced to take legal actions to seek redress.

On July 18, 2016, a similar story had gone viral in the media and the former IGP, who was then in London shortly after leaving office, denied going away with the Force’s properties.

He had said in his response in July that, “I suspect there must be a disconnect somewhere because every information needed by my successor are provided in my hand-over notes.

“It’s unfortunate that this matter is being made a media issue because my successor has my telephone number and could have called me for any clarification or even sent me a text message rather than addressing the media on an issue well documented in my hand-over notes.”

Also reacting to the latest report on Monday, the former IDP said, “It is embarrassing for me to wake up on Monday morning to be inundated with calls and messages on purported 19 vehicles recovered from me.

“I wish to reassure the general public that there was nothing like that. Like I said in July, I did not take any police vehicle with me outside what I am entitled to, and so, there couldn’t have been any vehicle recovered from me. If there was any such, those behind this campaign of calumny should please make the number plates of the vehicles public and where they were recovered from.”

“Rather than dissipating so much energy on ‘project drag Arase down’, I urge those behind this evil campaign to face their official responsibility for which much is expected from them by the nation.

“I have done my bit and my own records bear me witness.

“Let those daily frightened by the shadow of Arase learn to face reality and stop chasing shadows so that they are not hunted by same,” Mr Arase said in Monday’s statement.