Nigerian Police Allegedly Breach Financial Laws, Pay N149 Million into Retired AIG’s Personal Account for IGP’s Charter Flights
A total of ₦149 million in public funds was reportedly paid into the personal account of retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Danladi Lalas, for charter flights used by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun a move that appears to contravene Nigeria’s financial regulations.
According to data obtained from the federal government’s public expenditure platform, Govspend, the payments were made in four separate tranches between March and September 2024. These disbursements were intended for chartered flights transporting the police chief across various states in the country.
The first recorded payment was ₦17.2 million on March 4, 2024, to cover travel between Abuja, Anambra, and Bauchi. This was followed by a ₦14.9 million payment on March 18, and ₦14 million on August 6, for similar travel arrangements. The largest single transfer, ₦103.4 million, was made on September 27, also into Lalas’ personal account.
The transactions raise serious legal and ethical questions, as Nigeria’s Financial Regulations (2009), Chapter Seven, Section 713, clearly prohibit the payment of public funds into private accounts. The rule states: “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.”
Lalas, who headed the Nigerian Police Air Wing until his retirement, had previously come under scrutiny after reports emerged that he remained in office beyond the mandatory retirement age. During his tenure, the number of serviceable police aircraft reportedly dropped from six to just one.
It remains unclear why payments were directed to Lalas’ private account instead of being routed through the official accounts of the aircraft charter service providers.
Legal experts have weighed in on the matter, highlighting the potential violations of financial protocol. Barrister Kehinde Awosusi noted that “under no circumstance should a public servant or private individual receive government funds in a personal account for public expenses,” citing the widely publicized case involving Betta Edu, a former minister accused of similar infractions.
In a related revelation, it was also found that the Nigeria Police Force allegedly spent over ₦86 million on Christmas decorations at the Force Headquarters and at the IGP’s residences in Abuja and Lagos. The funds, channeled under “Police Command and Formations,” were paid to Wysdum Integrated Services Limited for the supply and installation of the decorations.
The emerging reports have intensified public scrutiny of spending practices within the Nigeria Police Force and prompted renewed calls for accountability and fiscal transparency in the management of public funds.
