By Danlami Nmodu
Revelations about the alleged N275 million fraud rocking the Police Service Commission,PSC took a different twist on Monday as PSC Chairman and former Inspector General of Police ,Mike Okiro has opened up directly for the first time and denied any fraud.Newsdiaryonline broke the story in which a PSC staff Aaron Kaase accused Okiro of swindling the commission of the amount in a petition to EFCC and ICPC.The ICPC last week drilled the former IGP.
But Okiro who spoke publicly on the issue for the first time at a press conference in Abuja on Monday has also accused an unnamed journalist of demanding N10million to kill the story.
The former IGP said “On April 2nd, 2015 at 2:20PM, I received a text on my phone, which read, “Afternoon Sir, can U kindly call me? Am working on a story over alleged N350M loot in your commission” It was from a journalist (Names Withheld) When I called him, he stated that there was a petition to the EFCC and ICPC alleging that I defrauded the Commission of the sum of N350M and that the petition was sent to six newspapers to publish. He concluded that he needed to see me urgently. I told him I was not in Abuja and would see him when I return. When I came back, he came to my residence and claimed he had spoken with the editors of The newspaper who had agreed not to Publish the story on the grounds that I give them N10M. to share. He added “Gen Buhari is coming to fight corruption, once the papers publish any such story against you, he would remove you immediately”. I retorted by showing him the bank statement where the balance was stated. He said “it is better you pay the N10M now, because if you don’t and the story is published, people will not believe your subsequent explanations”.
“On April 8th, 2015 at 03:39Pm he sent me his bank account by text to pay the money in case I change my mind to avoid shame and embarrassment. This man would not let me rest. Therefore on April 10th, 2015 at 10:58Am I sent him this text “I recvd your bank acct no where I should pay N10M to stop you and your group from publishing a damaging report against me. Sorry I can’t succumb to your blackmail. I didn’t steal govt money and have nothing to fear, Gen buhari is not coming to witch hunt or punish innocent people. You have visited my house several times and called my phone uncountable times threatening and demanding N10M. I have had enough. Pls give me a break. If this persists I will report you to the guild of editors”. Mike Okiro.
“After this text he stopped pestering my life and I had peace. However I felt this was not enough, as the unsuccessful blackmailer would adopt another method. Moreover the details in the petition came from a worker in the PSC. To get to the root of the whole episode I handed the journalist over to SARS. The result was mind bugling and depicted the comedy of errors It was revealed that Mr. Aaron Kaase, my erstwhile protocol officer wanted to wed in May 2015 and needed money. He felt the quickest way was to connive with the journalist to extort money from me, so they could share it so he could conduct his traditional wedding.
Okiro’s statement in full reads thus : “I deeply appreciate your honoring our invitation in spite of the short notice, to give some insights into what amounted to the build up to the so-called alleged fraud and petition in the Police service Commission.
In a nutshell, there is no iota of truth in the bogus claim by one Mr. Aaron Kaase, a staff of the PSC, currently on suspension over gross misconduct and criminal activities.
It beats our imagination, how Mr. Kaase could contrive such mind-boggling figures as N275M misappropriated from the coffers of the commission, with scant regards to the fact that facts are scared and such weighty allegations must demand empirical evidence and substantiation, to be believed.
Though from the hindsight of what is the groundswell to this ill-advised posture of the said Mr. Kaase, it is possible and easy for you to separate the grains from the chaff.
The crux of Mr. Kaase’s grudge with the management of the PSC stemmed from his redeployment from being the protocol officer attached to the chairman, to the Press Unit.
This development was first stoutly resisted by Mr. Kaase, who later embarked upon extensive lobbying amongst the Commissioners and other top management staff of PSC to effect his retention, but to no avail.
We received the sum of N350M for Election Monitoring/Conferences/Training of the staff of PSC and deploy them to the states to monitor the Police conduct during the general elections of 2015.
Because the approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement came late, we were able to conduct only one day training. The PSC staffs were paid their allowances, DTA for the one-day training and their entitlements for the journey to the states for the monitoring. Total amount paid was N217,388,154.0. The remainder 132,611,845.99 is still in the PSC project account.
On April 2nd, 2015 at 2:20PM, I received a text on my phone, which read, “Afternoon Sir, can U kindly call me? Am working on a story over alleged N350M loot in your commission” It was from a journalist (Names Withheld) When I called him, he stated that there was a petition to the EFCC and ICPC alleging that I defrauded the Commission of the sum of N350M and that the petition was sent to six newspapers to publish. He concluded that he needed to see me urgently. I told him I was not in Abuja and would see him when I return. When I came back, he came to my residence and claimed he had spoken with the editors of The newspaper who had agreed not to Publish the story on the grounds that I give them N10M. to share. He added “Gen Buhari is coming to fight corruption, once the papers publish any such story against you, he would remove you immediately”. I retorted by showing him the bank statement where the balance was stated. He said “it is better you pay the N10M now, because if you don’t and the story is published, people will not believe your subsequent explanations”.
On April 8th, 2015 at 03:39Pm he sent me his bank account by text to pay the money in case I change my mind to avoid shame and embarrassment. This man would not let me rest. Therefore on April 10th, 2015 at 10:58Am I sent him this text “I recvd your bank acct no where I should pay N10M to stop you and your group from publishing a damaging report against me. Sorry I can’t succumb to your blackmail. I didn’t steal govt money and have nothing to fear, Gen buhari is not coming to witch hunt or punish innocent people. You have visited my house several times and called my phone uncountable times threatening and demanding N10M. I have had enough. Pls give me a break. If this persists I will report you to the guild of editors”. Mike Okiro.
After this text he stopped pestering my life and I had peace. However I felt this was not enough, as the unsuccessful blackmailer would adopt another method. Moreover the details in the petition came from a worker in the PSC. To get to the root of the whole episode I handed the journalist over to SARS. The result was mind bugling and depicted the comedy of errors It was revealed that Mr. Aaron Kaase, my erstwhile protocol officer wanted to wed in May 2015 and needed money. He felt the quickest way was to connive with the journalist to extort money from me, so they could share it so he could conduct his traditional wedding.
The journalist was brought to my office by the OC SARS and his officers.
The Journalist confronted Aaron Kaase, in the presence of the Commissioners, Permanent Secretary, Directors and other management staff of PSC in addition to The Police officers from SARS. Aaron Kaase confirmed he gave my phone number and my SA Medias number to the journalist to call and demand N10M. Thereafter the SARS Police Offices left with the journalist and Aaron Kaase to their office.
Some days later, three Police Officers from Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja came to my office with a warrant of arrest for Aaron Kaase, I enquired what the offence was and who was the complainant. I was informed Aaron Kaase collected the sum of N1M from a man to assist him secure a U.S.A visiting visa when he was the Protocol Officer, but failed to deliver (probably due to the redeployment) I sent for the Permanent Secretary and the Director of Admin and Finance (DAF) and told them to attend to the Police Officers.
Aaron Kaase was arrested, Charged to court and remanded in Kuje Prisons. When his house was searched by the Police, some official documents belonging to the PSC were found there.
On 13/5/2015 the Police from Zone 7 Headquarters wrote the Commission informing us Aaron Kaase was facing a criminal charge. In compliance with rule 030406 of the Public Service rules he was suspended from duty on May 21st 2015.
On May 23rd, 2015, after his suspension from duty, Aaron Kaase went online to accuse me of embezzling Two Hundred and Seventy-Five Million, Five Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand Naira (N275,525,000). He followed this viral publication with a petition he sent to Police Service Commission. Based of this, PSC wrote the ICPC on 25/5/2015 to investigate the case and look at the books of PSC to ascertain if N275,525,000 was missing.
I find it appropriate to call this press conference to disabuse the minds of Nigerians and the international committee and highlight the lies being peddled by Aaron Kaase.
“Aaron kaase was having misplaced grudges against the Chairman: For redeploying him from Protocol where he was executing some shady deals as demonstrated by the report against him; For failing to yield to blackmail and refusing to give him money for his wedding; For allowing the police officers from Zone 7 HQ to arrest him and remand him in Kuje Prisons(and) For suspending him from duty.”
“Some people are of the obnoxious opinion that if I had succumbed to the blackmail and paid Aaron Kaase and the journalist the money they demanded, my hard earned name, prestige and honour should not have been subjected to this traumatic experience.
“I still believe that a clear conscience fears no accusations and I will not yield to blackmail no matter how long it takes to clear my name. I have nothing to fear, this is what I told Aaron Kaase’s cohort, the journalist and rebuffed them.
“Nigerians should brace up and say no to blackmail.”
