•Ehindero Photo: Sun News Publishing

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No fewer than 10 houses have been traced to immediate past Inspector General of Police Mr Sunday Ehindero, all reportedly built during his two years as top cop.

Ehindero, who gave the police a new motto: "To serve and protect with integrity," ran into trouble last week, after some of his former aides were arrested as they were attempting to smuggle over N21 million cash out of the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, in Abuja.

As Ehindero is being probed following the orders of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Daily Sun has been able to locate the palatial mansions he reportedly built in Abuja, Ondo and Lagos States.

The most imposing of the mansions was found opposite Sunview Hotel, Alagbaka quarters in Akure. He also reportedly built another exquisite block of flats situated along Oda Road in the town.
Investigations further revealed that the former IGP built a house similar to that on Oda Road at Oyin Akoko and made sure the road leading to the house was tarred.
Other property in Ondo include blocks of hostel in Akungba, which he let out to students of the Adekunle Ajasin University.

In Abuja, Ehindero is said to have built a mansion at Gaduwa Estate, Constitution Crescent and has one under construction at Wuye.
Ehindero’s houses in Lagos are situated at the Ekoro area of Abule Egba and Ajah, where he had built an expansive school for the wife.
Meanwhile, detectives at the ‘D’ Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja told Daily Sun that Interim Investigation has been completed and a report is being compiled.
Daily Sun also learnt that the Commissioner of Police in charge of Budget, Mr John Obaniyi who had sent his aides to fetched the over N21 million, which he claimed was for Ehindero, had kept the money in his office toilet and inside a television set.

On the heels of the scam, an independent survey has again confirmed the Nigeria Police as the most corrupt institution in the country.
Closely following the police is the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Education Ministry (particularly higher institutions and examination bodies) and the customs service.
The survey also listed the Health Ministry, Justice Ministry, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigeria Railway Corporation and Agricultural Development Authorities as institutions least likely to collect bribe.

These are part of the findings of Nigeria Corruption Index (NCI) 2007 which was released in Lagos on Wednesday by Independent Advocacy Project (IAP), a leading anti-corruption group. The NCI 2007 is a follow up to the 2005 edition.