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Former police IG Tafa Balogun dies 18 years after destroying Okija shrine

Former inspector-general of police (IGP), Tafa Balogun, is dead.

Balogun clocks 75 on August 8.

Report says he died at Reddington Hospital in Lagos on Thursday.

Balogun served as IGP between 2002 and 2005, during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He destroyed the dreaded Okija shrine in 2004 where over 70 dead human bodies and skulls were discovered in the premise of the shrine.

He, however, resigned his position following allegations of corruption against him.

After he left office, he was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of benefitting from corruption.

According to the charges filed by the EFCC, he was accused of misappropriating funds of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) between 2000 and 2005, and was arraigned alongside seven companies alleged to have been used by him to commit the crime.

At the time of his resignation in January 2005, the EFCC said bank accounts containing over N1 billion alleged to be government funds were linked to him.

During his trial, there were reports of him being brutalised, which resulted in his hospitalisation in July 2005.

Also, in December 2005, he was rumoured to have died but the EFCC had dismissed the claim, describing it as “propaganda”.

He entered into a plea bargain with the anti-graft agency, after which he was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

He was also ordered to pay a fine of N4 million.

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