Kaduna — A non-governmental organisation, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), has appealed to the National Assembly to probe the inability of the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Lame, to account for N3.5 billion meant for strategic crime prevention projects in seven cities in Nigeria.

The cities are Lagos, Ibadan, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu and Kano.

The purpose of the projects according to NOPRIN, was to make the police force pro-active in combating crime.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Usman Nafada, during a session of House Committee on Police Affairs with the minister on November 12, 2009, was reported to have said, "I know that one of the conceptions of the strategic crime prevention project is to make the police arrive at a crime scene or respond to a distress call within five minutes".

A press release signed by Okechukwu Nwanguma, its Program Co-ordinator, which was made available to LEADERSHIP, stated that,"It is startling that Lame could spend such a huge amount on buying pick up vans, Range Rover and veterinary drugs, things which the House Committee revealed, were outside the scope of the intended pilot special crime prevention scheme.

"From the documents the minister presented to the lawmakers, most of the companies that got contracts do not have fixed addresses and the fund did not achieve 20 percent of its intended purpose.

"What Lame did with the funds calls to mind the case of Mr. Kenny Martins, the Co-ordinator of the Presidential Committee on Police Equipment Fund (PCPEF) set up by former President Obasanjo. Mr. Martins changed the trust fund into a 'non governmental organisation' and diverted assets and funds generated from the public, corporate organisations and government agencies to purposes other than what were originally contemplated.

"NOPRIN wonders how such a huge sum could be placed at the disposal of one man to spend. Or did Lame, unilaterally and or along with others spend the funds without following due procurement process and approval."