The seeming unabating bickering between the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris and the Senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District and retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Senator Isah Hamma Misau, started in August this year, and has refused to be resolved as the two warring personalities have resolutely embarked on accusations and counter accusations, with no-one willing to surrender and allow peace to reign.
The persisting brouhaha was provoked by the allegation made by Senator Misau, accusing the IGP of extorting money, ranging from N10m to N15m, from the Commissioners of Police, State Mobile Commanders and Special Protection Units (SPU) Commanders, for favourable postings.
He also accused the IGP of allegedly making N10bn monthly from oil companies and other private individuals who enjoy special protection from the security agency. Misau , made the allegations while addressing journalists in the nation’s political capital, Abuja, where he vehemently decried what he considered as monumental corruption going on in the Police.
Misau said that the level of corruption being perpetrated by the current IGP and the Chairman, Police Service Commission , IGP Mike Okiro (Rtd.), was so alarming, terrifying and capable of undermining the anti-corruption programme of President Muhammadu Buhari.
His words: “While the Police Service Commission could not deny the bribery allegation, information reaching me indicates that, even transfers of Commissioners of Police, State Mobile Commanders and SPU Commanders are also allegedly riddled in corruption. Some Commissioners of Police and State Mobile Commanders pay between N10m to N15m to get postings.
“There is also the allegation that more than 50,000 policemen are attached to oil companies, banks and private individuals with payments made to the Police authorities. These people pay as much as N10bn monthly. They are, however, unaccounted for. Policemen are being attached to criminals who now go around blaring siren while doing all sorts of dubious activities”, Misau alleged.
These allegations by the Bauchi-born politician triggered the anger of the Police Force, which immediately went for its pound of flesh against Misau , thereby declaring him a fugitive and a deserter. The Police alleged that the Senator was still a serving officer, who abandoned his job since 2010.
The Force Public Relations Officer (PRO), CSP Jimoh Moshood, told journalists in Abuja that they were investigating the lawmaker, including those involved in the alleged forgery of his retirement letter from the service, including an official of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mrs. Garos Logams, who allegedly signed the document.
He alleged that Misau dubiously absconded and deserted the Police on September 24, 2010, when he was redeployed to Niger State Command, consequent upon which he was queried, in line with the Public Service Rules.
The police also alleged that Misau had previously faced disciplinary investigation when he refused to proceed on Junior Command Course (JCC) 49/2008 at Staff College, Jos, between January 15, 2009, and June 19, 2009.
“Misau, a former Deputy Superintendent of Police, refused to proceed on Junior Command Course 49/2008 at Staff College, Jos, between January 5, 2009 and June 19, 2009 and also failed to report in Niger State in 2010 and was subsequently queried, in line with the Public Service Rules Sections 030301 ( b ) (g ) (m ) & ( o) and 030402 ( a ) (b ) (c ) (e ) & ( w)..
“The retirement letter presented to journalists by DSP Mohammed Hamman is suspiciously forged and dubiously obtained. The letter, which was dated March 5, 2014, a period of more than four years after AP No 57300 DSP Mohammed Isa Hamman (Senator Isah Hamma Misau ) deserted the Force is now being investigated by the Force. His name is still on their staff roll”, Moshood said.
He urged the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee to ask Senator Misau to dress up in his Police uniform and appear before the Police disciplinary committee to answer charges against him, asking the general public and the Red Chamber to dismiss statements credited to Misau. He claimed that everything Misau said about the IGP and the police was false.
However, in a swift reaction, Senator Misau dismissed the allegation, insisting that he properly retired voluntarily from the Force in 2010 and even paid the Police one month salary as the law requires. Misau also explained that the letter of his retirement given to him in 2014 by the PSC followed his own letter to the Police Commission, declaring his intention to retire.
This led the Senate to set up a eight-man ad hoc Committee to investigate the IGP of all these allegations bordering on financial corruption and abuse of office. The Committee was mandated to probe the Police boss of alleged misappropriation of funds, illegal promotion, posting of senior officers, merchandizing with the process, and allegation that he impregnated a female junior police officer.
The Committee is headed by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Francis Alimikhena, (APC, Edo North). Other members of the adhoc Committee are Senators Joshua Lidani, PDP, Gombe South; Binta Masi Garba, APC, Adamawa North; Suleiman Hunkuyi, APC, Kaduna North; Nelson Effiong, APC, Akwa Ibom South: Obinna Ogba, PDP, Ebonyi Central; Duro Faseyi, PDP, Ekiti North and AbdulAziz Murtala Nyako.
Misau told the Senate in plenary, that the IGP had hurriedly married a female police officer, after impregnating her, alleging that the said female police officer was already four months pregnant for the IGP, when he hurriedly arranged a marriage ceremony in Kaduna State.
He said that the pregnant female officer, had also been compensated by the police IG, by illegally promoting her, despite her lack of qualification, stressing that the marriage between the IGP and the female officer, contravened the code of ethics of the Force.
Also, to make the quarrel worse, Senator Misau came up with another allegation against the IGP, when he told the Senate that Idris, falsified his retirement date.
He stated this when he appeared before the Senate eight- member Adhoc Committee probing earlier allegations he made against the IGP. Furthermore, the lawmaker told the Committee that the Police chief purchased two Prado jeeps for the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari for her personal use.
According to him, the First Lady had requested through her Aide de Camp (ADC ) for a Sienna and Hiace but the IGP, instead of purchasing the requested cars, bought two Prado jeeps for the First Lady, which were not budgeted for. On the IGP’s alleged age manipulation, the lawmaker said that the expected date of retirement of the IGP was fraudulently doctored on the Staff List of Senior Police Officers from 3rd January to 15th January, 2019.
He said, “the Inspector- General of Police gave the First Lady, wife of the President two Jeeps and this came through a letter from the ADC of the First Lady who requested on her behalf that she needed a Sienna and Hiace for personal use, but she was given the two jeeps for her private use.
Similarly, the Police has reacted saying that it had carefully studied Misau’s allegations on car purchase for the First Lady and the issue of retirement age falsification, and found that they were outright falsehood, misleading, unfounded, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and drag the name of the Wife of the President and Commanderin- Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Aishat Buhari and that of the Inspector-General of Police into a controversy.
A statement from the Force headquarters states thus: “the Nigeria Police Force categorically wishes to state that all the allegations made by Misau against the Inspector General of Police and the Wife of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria of buying two (2) Jeeps for the Wife of the Presidents as reported in some media are baseless, untrue and done in bad faith to misinform and mislead the Public.
Members of the Public are hereby strongly enjoined to discountenance and disregard the report in its entirety.
“On IGP’s retirement age, Misau’s allegations were ill- motive, for avoidance of doubt, the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Force Secretary, Office wrote the Chairman, Police Service Commission on the 18th of January, 2017 drawing the attention of the Commission to the observation on the current Staff List of Senior Police Officers whereby the date of birth of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni was incorrectly stated as 3/01/1959 instead of the actual date 15/01/1959.
“All documents and records of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni has 15/01/1959 as his date of birth except the staff list Senior Police Officers and this is the reason why the approval of the Honourable Chairman, Police Service Commission for correction of the error was sought in this regard.
The difference of dates between 3/01/1959 and 15/01/1959 is just Twelve (12) days, which is very insignificant in Thirty Five (35) years that a public servant can be in service.
Not relenting, Senator Misau also reacted to the Police statement, saying that it was the Inspector General of Police, who was behind the leaked documents which exposed the President’s wife, and not him, pointing out that his comment on the approval of two jeeps by the IGP was in reference to court documents filed in the charge against him by the IGP and the Attorney General of the Federation.
With this unending allegation and counter allegations between the Police chief and the Senator, Nigerians are already getting sick and tired of the scenario and would expect well meaning citizens of the country to intervene, call the warring parties to order and end the imbroglio, which is becoming a child’s play.
