IGP Replies Senate, ‘I Owe You No Apology’

Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General of Police, says he owes the senate no apology after failing to honour their invitation for a third consecutive time.

He said this while responding to the comments made by lawmakers over his refusal to honour their invitation.

The Senate had invited Idris to appear on the floor of the upper legislative chamber to give explanations on the alleged callous treatment being meted out on their colleague, Senator Dino Melaye, by his men.

But the IGP has for one reason or the other failed to honour the invitation.

The first was on April 26 when the Police Chief shunned the Red Chamber’s invitation but rather accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to Bauchi State.

The Police IG also ignored the Senate’s second summon of Wednesday, May 3, when he instead visited Kaduna State after some bandits killed over 45 people in Birin Gwari community.

The Senate consequently asked the Police Chief to appear before it unfailingly on Wednesday, May 9, 2018.

But at Wednesday’s plenary, IGP Idris was a no-show, rather sent an Assistant Inspector General of Police to represent him.

The upper house at plenary on Wednesday, declared the I-G as enemy of democracy and unfit to hold any public office within and outside the country for failing to honour its invitation thrice.

The senate had refused the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of operations and other senior police officers to represent the I-G when he was invited on April 26.

The Force spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, described it as deliberate blackmail, witch-hunting, unfortunate and mischievous.

Moshood said that under the provisions of the Police Act and Regulations, the I-G could delegate a Deputy or Assistant Inspector-General of Police to represent him in an official capacity at any function.

“It is pertinent that the Force informs the members of the Public that other reasons for which the Senate has summoned the Inspector-General of Police is official and not personal,” Moshood said.

“The action of the Senate in its resolution against the I-G today is a deliberate blackmail, witch-hunting with mischievous motives to hand-twist the I- G to pervert the end of Justice.

“The Nigeria Police Force is the first defender of democracy and all democratic institutions in Nigeria and will continue to do so.

“It is factual and verifiable that Sen. Dino Melaye was discharged and certified fit to stand trial by the National Hospital, Abuja before he was arraigned in Chief Magistrate Courts in Wuse, Abuja and Lokoja.”

He said that the I-G and the Nigeria Police Force would not be deterred by blackmail from any individual or group no matter how highly placed from the enforcement of Law and Order.

“The Nigeria Police Force, therefore, owes no apology to any individual or groups in its effort to ensure preservation of law and order and supremacy of the law of the land, “he said.

“The Nigeria Police Force as a law abiding organization will continue to hold the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria in high esteem but wishes to impress on the Senate not to harbour criminal elements among its fold or condone criminality.

“The Force will not be intimidated by any individual, groups or institution, constituent or otherwise to abdicate from its constitutional responsibilities of protection of lives and property.”