The ongoing war of words between the Inspector General of Police
(IGP), Ibrahim Idris, and Sen. Isah Hamman Misau, took a different turn
yesterday October 25th when the Senator alleged that the IG bought two
Prado SUV’s for Mrs Aisha Buhari’s personal use.
According to Vanguard, Misau made the allegation when he appeared
before the eight-member Adhoc Committee mandated to probe the IGP. The
senate constituted the committee when Senator Misau brought his faceoff
with the IG of Police to the floor of the Senate on October 4th.
During his presentation at the investigation panel, the committee led
by Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Francis Alimikhena (APC,
Edo North), Misau alleged that the First Lady had requested, through her
Aide de Camp, ADC, for a Sienna and Hiace, but he (IGP) bought two
Prado SUVs, which were not in the budget, for the First Lady.
“The Inspector- General of Police gave the First Lady, wife of the
President, two SUVs and this came through a letter from the ADC to the
First Lady who requested on her behalf that she needed a Sienna and
Hiace for personal use, but she was given the two SUVs for her private
use.”
Misau also told the committee that the IGP manipulated his retirement
date, alleging that the expected date of retirement of the IGP was
fraudulently doctored on the staff list of senior police officers from
January 3rd to 15th of 2019. He went on to accuse the IGP of employing
four civilians in his office and receiving the salary of the rank of
Assistant Inspector- General of Police, AIG.
According to the senator,
the Police boss had also engaged the services of a retired police
officer to handle investigations. According to him, this is against the
code and Act establishing the Police Force. All investigative cases were
supposed to be under the Deputy Inspector-General of Police , DIG, in
Area 10, Garki, Abuja, and not a retired officer. Special promotion.
“Sometime in July 2017, I was in the office of Senator Baba Kaka,
Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business when a Daily Trust
reporter sought my views on the information that policemen pay as much
as N500,000 for special promotion.
To verify this information, I called
some serving police officers who confirmed to the three of us that the
information was not only true, but also that the amounts paid are up to
N2,500,000, in addition to other information. I, hereby, forward for
your consideration, the detailed terms of allegation against the
Inspector General of Police, 1GP, and Police Service Commission, PSC,
deployment of policemen to private organisations. Between 50,000 and
100,000 policemen are routinely deployed by the police to oil companies,
oil servicing companies, banks, oil marketers, and private individuals
etc, with regular payments made to the police.
While these monies are
estimated to run into billions monthly, they are, however, unaccounted
for. Today, the situation is so bad that businessmen with dubious
characters and suspicious businesses now go about with full detachment
of policemen and some with full convoy and blasting siren, especially in
Lagos, Port Harcourt and other major cities in the country.
“This
worsens the country’s policing ratio of one policeman to about 800
citizens, against the UN recommended ratio of one policeman to 400
citizens. The Police Service Commission, PSC, whose main function is to
recruit, train, discipline, promote and retire members of the Force,
appears to have left its core mandate to indulge almost exclusively in
promotion racketeering.
There are a lot of favouritisms in the
promotion/appointment of commissioners of police. Junior deputy
commissioners of police are given the commissioner of police in acting
capacity, against seniority and merit, thereby blocking eligible
candidates. A recent example is the current Lagos State Commissioner of
Police, who is a junior DCP to two other DCPs, now given acting CP and
posted to Lagos. These acts of favoritism have eroded discipline in the
Force, which is the backbone of any successful organisation.”
The face-off between Misau and police boss, Idris, started in August
this year when the lawmaker, in an interview granted to a national
newspaper, claimed that police officers pay bribes to get favorable
postings and promotions. The IGP, through the Force spokesman, Jimoh
Moshood, disputed his claims, saying that they were unfounded. He had
further claimed that Misau deserted the Force and that he would soon be
declared wanted to respond to a disciplinary committee set up to probe
him.