The Nigeria Police Force has addressed concerns surrounding the alleged payment of N100 million into the personal bank account of Victor Egbetokun, the son of outgoing Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, calling it a banking error that has since been rectified.
The clarification came after an online report surfaced, alleging that the N100 million originated from the security vote account of Anambra State Government. In a bid to address the issue, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, asserting that the payment was a mistake and had been reversed promptly.
Hundeyin explained that the transfer was reported by Victor Egbetokun himself, who noticed the unexpected deposit in his account. “You could remember when he (Omoyele Sowore) said N100 million was paid into the account of the son of the IGP. I called the son of the IGP immediately to know what was going on, and he explained,” Hundeyin said during the programme.
According to Hundeyin, Victor Egbetokun noticed the N100 million in his account and instructed his accounts officer to return the funds immediately. “He said he saw N100 million in his account, and he told his accounts officer to reverse the money immediately, which he did,” the police spokesperson added.
The police further clarified that Victor printed out his bank statement to confirm that the funds were indeed returned. “He printed out his statement of account. He showed me. The young man was forced to close down that account,” Hundeyin stated. He also revealed that Victor Egbetokun had filed a petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting an investigation into the matter.
Hundeyin reiterated that the transaction was merely a banking error, and no wrongdoing was involved in the transfer. He stressed that the funds were swiftly returned to the state government’s account once the mistake was discovered. The police spokesperson emphasized that the situation was a case of mistaken payment and reassured the public that there was no criminal intent or malfeasance behind the incident.
