IGP Idris Admits Giving Aisha Buhari Vehicles, But…

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has admitted approving two vehicles for Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, but says the cars were for official purposes.

Mr. Idris’ reaction comes close on the heels of the allegations made by Senator Isah Misau that the Police IG gave two Prado SUVs to Mrs. Buhari for personal uses.

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The First Lady, it would be recalled, had on Thursday reacted swiftly to Senator Misau’s allegations, saying “I am still using my personal cars”.

But in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, IGP Idris said contrary to the claims by Senator Misau that Mrs Aisha got Prado SUVs, the vehicles he approved for the First Lady were: (i) Toyota Sienna Bus and (ii) A Toyota Hiace Bus.

The statement reads in part:

“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.

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“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.

“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 vehicles for Police Personnel in the convoy of Wife of the President for convoy movement and security purposes.

“Two 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.

“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.”

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Speaking on the allegations that the IGP`s retirement age had been altered, Moshood said:

“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 Idris, was incorrectly stated as 3/01/1959 instead of the actual date 15/01/1959.

“All documents and records of the IGP 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 12 days which is very insignificant in 35 years that a public servant can be in service.

“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,“ the statement read.

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