As SP Ezekiel Sini Bags Police Intergrity Award…

The import of the saying, A good name is better than riches, recently played out when the police authorities conferred its integrity award on one of its personnel, Superintendent of Police Ezekiel Sini, for turning down a N150 million bribe to pervert the course of justice, writes Alex Enumah.

SP Ezekiel Sini was among 16 personnel of the Nigeria Police Force recently recognized and honoured for their wonderful contributions to the force and nation. 

Their exemplary qualities, actions and decisions in improving the image of the police and country as a whole besides being worthy of commendations, have shown that there is hope for the nation as it contends with criminal elements both from within and outside.

Speaking at the award ceremony, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, stated that the award was intended to showcase the meritorious and guiding principles that should shape the daily actions and decisions of police officers. “Recognition will be given to disciplined officers who diligently carried out investigations and prosecutions.  Their efforts have brought offenders to justice, delivered closure to victims and reinforced the rule of law, transforming justice from a mere concept into a tangible reality for all,” the IG added.

Not many would have thought one can find a saint in the police force, who stands against bribery and corruption. Videos of officers extorting motorists and demanding bribes from others are commonplace on social media. This issue of bribery has been so damaging to the image of the force and country that it sounds strange to hear that an officer of the force indeed turned down a whopping sum of N150 million.

Sini is currently serving with the Counter Intelligence Unit (CIU) which is domiciled in the Force Intelligence Department (FID) of the Nigeria Police Force. The unit is saddled with the responsibility of gathering intelligence and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage and subversion or counteracting threats posed by hostile intelligence services against the Nigeria Police Force. The unit also conducts discrete investigations on related matters as directed by the office of the Inspector General (IG) of Police through the office of the Deputy Inspector (DIG) General of Police, Force Intelligence Department.

Sometime last year, following a petition to the IGP, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) AbduYari Lafia assigned the case to the CIU headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Edwin Eloho and assisted by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mohammed Lawan. DCP Elohor gave Sini and his team (including DSP Abu Inwanfero) the task of unravelling the claim of fraud and diversion of funds against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Duport Midstream Company Limited, Dr Akintoye Akindele. According to the petition, Akindele was said to have diverted the sum of $5,636,397.01 and N73,543,763.25 belonging to Summit Oil Limited to his personal use.

However, in the course of the investigation, Akindele was alleged to have offered the sum of N150 million to the investigators to compromise their findings. According to the police officer, the defendant offered him a bribe to, among other things, admit him to bail, write a report in his favour and also release his international passport to enable him to travel abroad. Sini informed his boss, DCP Eloho, who sent a signal through the chain of command up to the IGP and got approval to play along with the defendant to see if he’ll follow through on the inducement.

Consequently, an account was given into which the defendant made a part payment of N50 million. Upon the payment of the deposit, the force set up a separate investigation team whose findings led to the filing of a one-count charge of bribery against Akindele before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August last year.

The one count criminal charge marked CR/595/2023 states that between August 5 and 9 2023 in Abuja, while being investigated by SP Ibrahim Ezekiel Sini and his team on a petition submitted to the Inspector General of Police FIB by Summit Oil International Limited on allegation of diversion of the sum of $5,636,397.01 and N73,543,763.25, Akindele “offered gratification of N150,000,000.00 and made part payment of N50,000,000.00 to SP Ibrahim Sini, a public servant in circumstance and to allow you to escape abroad and to write a report in your favour.”

Akindele, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and has since been admitted to bail in the sum of N500 million. The bribery trial is ongoing just as Akindele and his company, Duport Midstream are being tried for $5.6 million fraud at the Federal High Court, Abuja. In the four-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/570/2023, they were said to have committed the act between 2017 and 2021, when they allegedly converted the said sum received from Shell West into personal use.

While we await the outcome of the two cases, it is worthy of note that the police found the conduct of Sini, the CIU and the FID worthy of commendation and are now celebrating them for their resolve to uphold the principles of justice and impartiality.

The conduct of Sini and his team members has showcased their professional competence as well as their unwavering commitment to ethical standards, which the police and Nigeria can be proud of.

Earlier, the Police Spokesman, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had announced that the award was aimed at recognizing and celebrating the bravery, dedication, and professionalism exhibited by officers in the line of duty. “It represents a continuation of the transformative agenda set forth by the IGP to foster a culture of excellence, integrity, and accountability within the Force”, he said.

Adejobi had recalled that the IG had at his inaugural address to officers, articulated a visionary approach to reward and recognition, designed to motivate and inspire personnel to strive for greatness.

“While we celebrate the achievements of our officers, it is imperative to reiterate the Nigeria Police Force’s unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. The Awards Night serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability and responsibility within law enforcement, and we remain vigilant in sanctioning any misconduct or violation of the code of conduct”, he added.