The Nigerian
Police Force has denied allegations made by Senator Hammed Misau that the
Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, bought two SUVs for the wife of
President Buhari, Aisha Buhari's personal use. Misau made the allegations when
he appeared before the Senate committee investigating him and the IG.
He alleged that
Mrs. Buhari through her ADC asked the IGP for a Sienna and Hiace for
personal use, but she was given the two SUVs for her private use.” In a
statement released this afternoon, the police said the allegation by the
senator were baseless and absolutely untrue and outright falsehood.
The statement
reads..
'The attention
of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to publications in the Daily Trust
Newspaper of 26th October, 2017, page 3 captioned “Misau Accuses IGP Of Buying
2 Jeeps For Buhari’s Wife” and “IGP Idris Manipulated His Retirement Age, Says
Misau” on Page 3 of The Nation of October 26th 2017” credited to Senator Isa Hamma
Misau and written by Ismail Mudashir and Onyedi Ojiabor of Daily Trust and
Nation Newspapers respectively.
2. The two
reports were studied and found out to be an outright falsehood, misleading,
unfounded, a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and drag the name of
the Wife of the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Mrs Aishat Buhari and that of the Inspector General of Police, IGP
Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni into a controversy.
3.It is
pertinent to state that at no time did the Wife of the President and Commander
in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Aishat Buhari requested
directly or indirectly for vehicles for her use from the Inspector General of
Police and no vehicle whether Jeep or SUV has ever been given for her personal
use.
4.To set the
record straight and disabuse the minds of the public most especially those who
must have read the story, that the Inspector General of Police is empowered by
the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and the
Police Act and Regulations, precisely Section 215 (1)(a&b) and (2) “The
Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector General
Police“ and the Deployment and Control of the entire Operations of the Force including
allocation of Police vehicles for operational use throughout the country shall
be under the purview of the IGP.
5.It is within
the powers of the Inspector General of Police as stated above that when on the
17th January, 2017, SP Sani M Baba –Inna, the ADC “Wife of the President”
Federal Republic of Nigeria requested for Two (2) vehicles for Police Personnel
in the convoy of Wife of the President for convoy movement and security
purposes. Two (2) Police Vehicles (i) A Toyota Sienna Bus with Reg. No. NPF 2406D
(ii) A Toyota Hiace Bus with Reg. No. NPF 3363D were approved by the Inspector
General of Police to the ADC “Wife of the President” SP Sani M Baba –Inna for
the purposes requested and not to the person of the Wife of the President or
for her personal use as alleged by Misau.
6.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.
7.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.
8.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. Attached is letter Ref No. CH.7080/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.3/30 dated 18th
January, 2017 written by the Force Secretary to the Honourable Chairman Police
Service Commission on the subject matter for media ease of reference.
9.Furthermore,
the Public will note that Issa Hamma Misau deliberately refused to prove the
allegations he previously levelled against the Inspector General of Police on
the floor of the Senate for which he was invited by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee
but instead brought up other falsehoods to distract the Committee and the members
of the Public.
10.The Nigeria
Police Force is assuring the media of its support and continued cooperation in
ensuring a crime free society and credible reportage. The print media are
implored not to allow the pages of their esteemed Newspapers to be used to
champion campaign of calumny capable of causing disaffections between the Force
and the Public or that can cast aspersions on the hard earned integrity of the
leadership of the Force.
11.The Inspector
General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, will not be distracted or
deterred by mischievous and misguided individual(s) from carrying out his
statutory responsibilities for the benefit of the entire Police Personnel and
all Nigerians that we serve.
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