A firestorm of controversy has erupted following allegations that ₦100 million from the Anambra State Security Fund was transferred into the personal bank account of Victor Egbetokun, son of the former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
The revelation, brought to light by human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, has led to a heated debate over police accountability, banking security protocols, and allegations of “illegal” promotions within the force.
The transfer, securitynewsalert.com gathered, was defended by Force Public Relations Officer ACP Benjamin Hundeyin as a clerical error.
However, the explanation has been met with widespread scepticism from financial experts and the public alike.
Wale Orire, a medical doctor and commentator, noted that the complexity of high-value transfers makes a “glitch” highly unlikely.
“Such a huge sum cannot just slip through without scrutiny. Random glitches don’t pick politically connected individuals. A transfer like this cannot happen without prior access, intentional action, or gross negligence,” Orire stated.
Adding to the technical scepticism, Adékúnlé Odérìndé pointed out that Nigerian banking regulations for such amounts are stringent.
“To even do such a large transfer, it will require going to the bank to initiate such a transfer, and there are second-level authentication and verification before it can be approved. Who filled in the name of the IGP’s son on such a transfer?”
Omoyele Sowore, who claimed the police attempted to use the EFCC to silence him over the discovery, launched a scathing attack on ACP Hundeyin and the former IGP.
Sowore alleged that Hundeyin’s recent promotion to Assistant Commissioner of Police was “illegal” and a reward for loyalty.
“This Boy Scout, @BenHundeyin, who was illegally promoted to ACP by the now-fired illegal IGP, admitted that Victor Egbetokun received ₦100 million… by accident,” Sowore posted. “Hundeyin should be stripped of his illegally awarded promotion and returned to work as a Divisional Transport Officer (DTO) at a regular police station.”
The Nigerian digital space has been awash with comparisons between how the elite and the “common man” are treated by law enforcement.
Many users questioned why such “accidents” never seem to benefit ordinary citizens.
Digital commentator @CHRISNONSO2020 asked why the funds were “accidentally” sent specifically to the son of an elite official rather than an ordinary Nigerian.
Similarly, @BabaKNaija argued that if an ordinary citizen were the recipient, they would have been arrested for obtaining money under pretences rather than having the incident dismissed as an accident.
Another observer, @babaiyaeeyan, criticised the speed with which the police supposedly “investigated” and closed the case simply because of the family ties involved, noting the sharp contrast in how an average citizen would have been treated in the same situation.
The burning question remains: Who authorised the transaction before the discovery of the “accident”
