Group Lambast IGP After Commission Clears Senator Of Alleged Desertion

A group of Nigerians has asked the Inspector-General of Police,
Ibrahim Idris, to submit himself for investigation over the
allegation of corruption against him by a senator, Isah Misau‎.

The group made the call after the Police Service Commission
clarified that the senator duly retired from the police, thus
exonerating him of the allegation by Police authorities that he was
a deserter.

It would also be recalled that Mr. Misau, who is the Chairman of
Senate Committee on Navy, in a series of interviews with
journalists had accused the Inspector General of Police of taking
bribe to post officers as well as diverting money paid by private
companies for police duties.

The police authorities responded by accusing him of vendetta
over being under investigation for alleged desertion of the
police.

The Police on August 27 had declared Mr. Misau a deserter and
accused him of carrying about a forged retirement letter.

But the Police Service Commission on Wednesday confirmed that
the retirement letter of the senator from the force was
authentic.

The retirement letter, with ref: No PSC 1034 Vol.8/244, was
issued on March 4, 2014 but took effect from December 1, 2010.‎

The commission said Mr. Misau’s retirement followed due process
as it was based on recommendation from the Force Headquarters.

‎Discussing the issue on Thursday, participants on penpushing
social media platform said the senator having been cleared of the
allegation of desertion, it had become morally compulsory to
investigate his allegation against the Inspector General of
Police.

A cleric who is a member of the platform, Olusesi Obateye,
wrote: ‘Now that the retirement letter has been investigated and
found authentic, what will happen to his allegations against
IGP?”

He expressed dismay that instead of the police to respond to the
senator’s allegations, they had resorted to counter accusation,
stating that the tactic was characteristic of a guilty party.

In her own remark, a veteran journalist, Funke Fadugba, posited:
“Are the allegations against the IGP against the government? Is
fight against corruption no longer a cardinal program of government
that we should all support? He who comes to equity must come with
clean hands. The police is a major in prosecuting the
anti-corruption war.”

Another commentator, Sulaiman Fasasi, reacted thus:‎ “I lost
faith in this IGP right from the word go. A man who couldn’t
conduct a proper investigation on police vehicles, how would he
secure all the vehicles in Nigeria? The same man who couldn’t
investigate a resignation letter of an officer serving under him
doesn’t worth to be a DPO.”

Yinka Kotoye, who is a legal practitioner, wrote: ‘The man
should resign honourably.‎ The Senate should push for the sack of
the IG or his resignation.”

In the same vein, Yusuph Olaniyonu declared: “Senator Misau may
have to consider seeking redress. The Senate should also look into
the allegations.

“We have been talking about this very familiar pattern. When an
MDA or government institution is accused of wrongdoing or
initiating a wrong policy, instead of facing the facts, they resort
to blackmail. This has backfired

“Since FPRO spoke on Raypower saying the allegation of companies
paying for police protection was false, the station has been
inundated with documents sent by people who were in charge of such
payments in the companies they used to work to prove that payments
are being made.

“In any case, banks and oil companies don’t pay huge amount of
money like that without vouchers being raised and these are trails
that can be followed. Sen. Misau has always said his motivation was
for those payments to be made official and harnessed into resources
that the police could tap into for re-equipping and re-tooling.

“The Senate should simply investigate the issues raised by Misau
and put the outcome in the public domain. Just as they did on the
suspended SGF. It is left for the President to act on it or ignore
it. Whatever action the President takes will form part of the
portfolio for the anti-corruption fight. ‎ At least, there is a
suggestion that the suspended SGF may still come back,” Mr.
Olaniyonu stated.

The Ogun State Chairman of Committee for Defence on Human
Rights, Folarin Olayinka, reacted thus: “This IGP I think should
just cover his face in shame, he needs to convince the public that
he is not on a garment of corruption.

“The people must own the struggle against corruption. Hate
Senate, call them names, but be sure there are still good and
concerned personalities there. They have achieved a lot and must
not be inordinately shouted down always. This IGP must go‎.”

A group of Nigerians has asked the Inspector-General of Police,
Ibrahim Idris, to submit himself for investigation over the
allegation of corruption against him by a senator, Isah Misau‎.

The group made the call after the Police Service Commission
clarified that the senator duly retired from the police, thus
exonerating him of the allegation by Police authorities that he was
a deserter.

It would also be recalled that Mr. Misau, who is the Chairman of
Senate Committee on Navy, in a series of interviews with
journalists had accused the Inspector General of Police of taking
bribe to post officers as well as diverting money paid by private
companies for police duties.

The police authorities responded by accusing him of vendetta
over being under investigation for alleged desertion of the
police.

The Police on August 27 had declared Mr. Misau a deserter and
accused him of carrying about a forged retirement letter.

But the Police Service Commission on Wednesday confirmed that
the retirement letter of the senator from the force was
authentic.

The retirement letter, with ref: No PSC 1034 Vol.8/244, was
issued on March 4, 2014 but took effect from December 1, 2010.‎

The commission said Mr. Misau’s retirement followed due process
as it was based on recommendation from the Force Headquarters.

‎Discussing the issue on Thursday, participants on penpushing
social media platform said the senator having been cleared of the
allegation of desertion, it had become morally compulsory to
investigate his allegation against the Inspector General of
Police.

A cleric who is a member of the platform, Olusesi Obateye,
wrote: ‘Now that the retirement letter has been investigated and
found authentic, what will happen to his allegations against
IGP?”

He expressed dismay that instead of the police to respond to the
senator’s allegations, they had resorted to counter accusation,
stating that the tactic was characteristic of a guilty party.

In her own remark, a veteran journalist, Funke Fadugba, posited:
“Are the allegations against the IGP against the government? Is
fight against corruption no longer a cardinal program of government
that we should all support? He who comes to equity must come with
clean hands. The police is a major in prosecuting the
anti-corruption war.”

Another commentator, Sulaiman Fasasi, reacted thus:‎ “I lost
faith in this IGP right from the word go. A man who couldn’t
conduct a proper investigation on police vehicles, how would he
secure all the vehicles in Nigeria? The same man who couldn’t
investigate a resignation letter of an officer serving under him
doesn’t worth to be a DPO.”

Yinka Kotoye, who is a legal practitioner, wrote: ‘The man
should resign honourably.‎ The Senate should push for the sack of
the IG or his resignation.”

In the same vein, Yusuph Olaniyonu declared: “Senator Misau may
have to consider seeking redress. The Senate should also look into
the allegations.

“We have been talking about this very familiar pattern. When an
MDA or government institution is accused of wrongdoing or
initiating a wrong policy, instead of facing the facts, they resort
to blackmail. This has backfired

“Since FPRO spoke on Raypower saying the allegation of companies
paying for police protection was false, the station has been
inundated with documents sent by people who were in charge of such
payments in the companies they used to work to prove that payments
are being made.

“In any case, banks and oil companies don’t pay huge amount of
money like that without vouchers being raised and these are trails
that can be followed. Sen. Misau has always said his motivation was
for those payments to be made official and harnessed into resources
that the police could tap into for re-equipping and re-tooling.

“The Senate should simply investigate the issues raised by Misau
and put the outcome in the public domain. Just as they did on the
suspended SGF. It is left for the President to act on it or ignore
it. Whatever action the President takes will form part of the
portfolio for the anti-corruption fight. ‎ At least, there is a
suggestion that the suspended SGF may still come back,” Mr.
Olaniyonu stated.

The Ogun State Chairman of Committee for Defence on Human
Rights, Folarin Olayinka, reacted thus: “This IGP I think should
just cover his face in shame, he needs to convince the public that
he is not on a garment of corruption.

“The people must own the struggle against corruption. Hate
Senate, call them names, but be sure there are still good and
concerned personalities there. They have achieved a lot and must
not be inordinately shouted down always. This IGP must go‎.”