Former IGP Egbetokun In Serious Trouble Over N1.7bn Safe School Contracts
A review of records on the Federal Government’s public payments portal, Govspend, has raised questions over the award of Safe School Intervention Project contracts worth about N1.7 billion by the Nigeria Police Force during the tenure of former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
According to information obtained from the portal, on November 28, 2023, a contract valued at N874 million was awarded to Dalori Global Engineering Limited for the execution of a Safe School Intervention Project in Nigeria’s North-Central geopolitical zone.
Checks on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) beneficial ownership register indicate that the company is owned by Baba Bukar Aji, who is listed as the sole person with significant control.
Records further show that on the same date, another contract worth N874 million was awarded to Hikam Engineering and Consulting Limited for a Safe School Intervention Project in the South-West region.
A review of CAC records reveals that Bukar Baba Aji is listed as one of the directors of Hikam Engineering and Consulting Limited. Other directors include Yagana Baba Aji, Hassan Baba Aji, Babagana Baba Aji, and Abubakar Baba Aji.
The findings suggest that the two firms, which appear to have ownership and management links, received similar contracts with a combined value of approximately N1.748 billion.
The Safe Schools Initiative was launched in 2014 following the abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State. The programme was designed to improve security and safety in schools across Nigeria.
Reacting to the contract awards, lawyer and corporate procurement expert Awosusi Kehinde described the development as potentially constituting contract splitting, a practice prohibited under Nigeria’s public procurement framework.
According to him, awarding similar contracts to two companies linked to the same individual raises concerns about transparency and possible manipulation of the procurement process.
“This kind of development qualifies as contract splitting, an act that the procurement law frowns upon,” Kehinde said.
He questioned why two companies allegedly linked to the same person would be used to secure similar contracts rather than a single entity handling the projects.
“It may be argued that a company is independent of its owner, but in this case there are questions about conflict of interest and the materiality of the awards to companies owned by the same person,” he added.
Kehinde called on anti-corruption agencies to investigate the contract awards and determine whether due process was followed.
The latest concerns come amid previous allegations involving procurement activities during Egbetokun’s tenure.
Earlier reports alleged that a N6 billion police uniform procurement contract was divided into multiple smaller contracts and awarded to a single company allegedly linked to the former police chief.
Sources familiar with the matter claimed that the contract was split into 66 separate awards to circumvent approval thresholds stipulated under the Public Procurement Act.
The allegations have not been judicially established, and no official findings have been released by relevant authorities regarding the claims.
