Will Senate give IGP Idris ‘Babachir treatment’?

TAIYE ODEWALE, in this prognosis, thinks the embattled Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, may likely receive the same treatment the Senate meted out to the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation ( SGF), David Babachir Lawal .
Ad-hoc committee for IGP Idris With the setting up of an Ad- hoc committee last week Wednesday by the Senate to probe the alleged N120billion being allegedly squandered annually by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, as proceeds from special security services provided by the police to corporate bodies in the country and privileged individuals coupled with other alleged corruption related practices, the stage certainly seems set for the indictment of the embattled IGP by the Senate.

In fact, what started about two months ago precisely August this year, as a mere verbal outbursts between the Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Hamman Misau (APC Bauchi Central) and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over allegations and counter allegations bordering on claimed corrupt practices on the part of the IGP, indiscipline, forgery and insubordination on the part of the Senator.
It would be recalled that trouble started for the two warring persons, when Misau at a press briefi ng in August hauled missiles lazed with claimed corruption allegations against the IGP and submitted that Police under him, would not, in anyway, rise up to the challenge of tackling insecurity in the land.
Th e Senator alleged that rather arrest crime and corruption in all spheres, punch at criminalities remain ineff ective as a result of rots within the system.
Serious allegations against IGP “Th e incumbent IGP based on available records and series of petitions and reports from insiders, has no capacity to run the Police just like the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Rtd IGP, Mike Okiro, who also lacked needed capacity did not going by N300million scam and other grievous allegations hanging on his neck since 2011 general elections.
Recall that the retired IGP was in charge of the Presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) where he served as the head of the security committee.
“Specifi cally, the IGP on good authority from within the force, collects over N10bn on monthly basis as money for special security provided by men of the force to corporate bodies and highly placed individuals including criminals, running to N120 billion on yearly basis without any refl ection in Police annual budgets internally or monies remitted to the federal government in any way “On nepotism, the IGP is scoring high mark by making almost half of the mobile commanders in the country, people of his Nupe extraction and on favouritism, appointing CP Moses Jitoboh, an offi cer, who had been out of fi eld of operational service to that of Political service for close to 20 years, as Adamawa State Police Commissioners”.
He wondered how such a CP, who, according to him, served the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diaprieye Alamieyesigha, as ADC before moving to Goodluck Jonathan in similar capacity when he was made Governor, to the time he was Vice President, Acting President and an elected President, would lead war against crime and criminality in a state in high need of intelligence gathering that can be got from contacts within and not from political contacts outside the state.
Unfriendly bullets But the Police in a counter allegation, accused Misau of vendata against the security outfi t and declared him as a deserter, who left the Police in questionable circumstances in 2010 after being posted to Niger Police Command, insisting that as far as the Police was concerned, the Senator is still an offi cer awaiting disciplinary action.
Th e Force in a statement issued then by its spokesperson, CSP Moshood Jimoh said: “Misau is still a serving offi cer of the Nigeria Police billed for disciplinary action any time he makes himself available to the appropriate disciplinary panel.
“His real name in the police is DSP Mohammed Isa Hamman, with police number AP No.
57300.
He (Misau), is still a police offi cer and not a senator because his name as a serving offi cer is still with the police.
“Senate will do the nation good by asking him to return to the Nigeria Police Force to face disciplinary committee and answer all the charges bordering on serious misconduct, unprofessional wrong doings as earlier contained in our press statement before the Senator’s tissues of lies against the Force and its Inspector General.
“We want the public to know that he is not fi t and proper to be Senator of the federal republic of Nigeria; because that purported retirement letter he displayed today (last Friday) was forged.
He is wanted by the force for forgery and desertion which are all criminal off ences in the Nigeria law books.
“All DSP Hamman was saying were cheap blackmail, distraction and deliberate acts to derail investigation.
“So the Force will want the Senate Ethics and Privileges committee, which we have confi dence and trust in, to see reason to ask him to dress up in his police uniform to come and appear before police disciplinary committee to answer charges against him.
” But the Police seems to have lost out in the battle against the Senator via the resolution of the Senate last week Wednesday, which gave birth to the setting up of an ad hoc committee to carry out thorough investigation of all the corrupt practices levelled against the IGP by Senator Misau, while the one the Police levelled against the Senator, are to be probed by its committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
Will the committee be fair? Based on the resolutions, many political commentators are of the view that while the ad hoc committee will recommend to the Senate, similar treatment given to the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) by indicting him and calling for his removal from offi ce while the committee on ethics and privileges, will give Misau clean bill of health on Police allegation against him.
A pointer to that direction can be deduced from what comments made two days ago by a Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Integrity and Justice (CCSGIJ), which requested for resignation of the Inspector-General of Police from offi ce within 5 working days ahead of the probe.
Th e Coalition at a joint press briefi ng in Abuja on Sunday, said “Mr.
Idris has lost integrity and the moral standing to lead the Nigeria Police Force”, and thus, needs to be shown the way out based on gravity of allegations levelled against him from the Senate and machinery already set in motion by the Senate to expose him further “We, therefore, resolved that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice perform his duties creditably by advising President Muhammadu Buhari to remove IGP Idris from offi ce within 5 (fi ve) working days, from Monday this week” Th ese defi nitely are not the best of times for the embattled IGP but whether he would get consumed by the allegations and the Senate’s move or survives at the end of the day remains in the womb of time.

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