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Tag: Abba

Senate confirms Abba as Grand Kadi of Sharia Court of Appeal

The Senate yesterday confirmed the nomination of Hon. Kadi Ibrahim Abba as the Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senator Umaru Dahiru-led Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on the screening of Hon. Abba.

Dahiru in his report noted that the nomination of Hon. Abba by President Goodluck Jonathan was made pursuant to Section 261(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, which requires that the appointment of a person to the office of the Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Shall be made by the President of the recommendation of the National Judicial Council subject to confirmation of such nomination by the Senate.

He noted that Hon. Abba has been a Kadi in the FCT Sharia Court of Appeal since 1995 before his present elevation to the position of Grand Kadi by President Goodluck Jonathan.

February 26, 2015
Murtala’s son, Abba, emerges PDP running mate in Kano

ALHAJI Abba, son of the late Head of State, Murtala Mohammed, has emerged running mate of Sagir Takai, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Kano State for 2015 election.

Faruk Iya, the Campaign Coordinator of Takai 2015, announced the nomination of Mr. Abba at a news conference in Kano on Saturday.

Mr. Iya said the decision to nominate Mr. Abba was made by the party’s leaders and was based on his personal track record of service and commitment to the party.

Mr. Abba contested with Mr. Takai during the recent PDP gubernatorial primaries in the state. He came second while Takai won the ticket.

December 28, 2014
Abba’s faux pas

The police play a vital role in every society. They are in charge of law and order to ensure peace and harmony in the land. The police are an arbiter of sorts, between two disputing parties, be they individuals or institutions. As a body conferred with the power to arrest and detain people within a reasonable time before charging them to court, the police are expected to use this power wisely and soberly.

But, in many instances, the police, especially in Nigeria act with impunity. They arrest and detain people at will. At times, they kill people under the guise of law enforcement and tag their victim ”a robber”. Where the person is not ”a robber”, he may be a victim of what they call ”accidental discharge”. Our police do not seem to value human life, yet they say they are our friend. The ”police is your friend” is the legend you find at the counters of almost all police stations or posts.

Are the police really our friend? There is nothing that puts the lie to this claim than their actions in recent times. Led by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, who should be the epitome of a gentleman officer, the police have become the attack dog of the executive. It seems Abba was deliberately chosen among his peers to take up the executive’s fight. Since his appointment in February following the retirement of his predecessor, the urbane M.D Abubakar, Abba has been putting the wrong foot forward.

Rather than be the people’s IG, he is more at home being on the side of President Goodluck Jonathan. Those not in the same political camp with the president are not in his good book. The president’s fight is his fight and we have seen him prove this time and again. When Speaker Aminu Tambuwal defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in October, Abba wasted no time in withdrawing his security aides, citing Section 68 of the Constitution. The interpretation of this section is the crux of a case between PDP and Tambuwal at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

On November 20, Abba was at it again when he sent his men to cordon off the National Assembly in order to stop Tambuwal from entering the House of Representatives Chambers. To him, Tambuwal is no longer Speaker because of his defection to APC. Pray, where was Abba when the Speaker and virtually all members of Ondo State House of Assembly defected from the Labour Party to PDP? If he saw nothing wrong in those defections, why is he shouting blue murder over Tambuwal’s move to APC? Why is he not applying Section 68 of the Constitution in that case since he knows law so well? It is not the job of Abba as IG to interpret the Constitution; his job is to ensure the maintenance of law and order.

Abba has left his job undone in his attempt to interpret the Constitution when he is not a judge. Perhaps, he feels that as a lawyer, he can play the judge. Instead of wasting his time interpreting the law, a job not under his purview, Abba should turn the heat on hoodlums, who have taken over the country. Last Wednesday, he did the unthinkable when he appeared before the House Committee on Police Affairs over his men’s invasion of the National Assembly on November 20. He told the stunned committee members that he no longer recognised Tambuwal as Speaker.

Irked by his persistent reference to the Speaker as Alhaji Tambuwal, the committee asked him to address the Speaker properly. Abba replied that he would not because the matter is in court. If he knew that, why then did he withdraw the Speaker’s security details when the matter has not been decided? This is the impunity we have been talking about. If Abba can withdraw the security aides of the Speaker with the tacit approval of the president, can other Nigerians be sure of the protection of their rights and privileges?

While awaiting the court decision, it would be advisable for Abba to retrace his steps before it is too late. He is not the first IG and certainly, he won’t be the last. But whatever he does today will become history tomorrow. How will he want posterity to judge him? As IG of the people or a puppet? The choice is his.

Adieu Olopa

The news hit me like a thunderbolt. Jude had been in my thoughts since I returned to work on November 24. Last Wednesday, I asked after him from Dada Aladelokun, his colleague on the City Desk. Dada said he was on leave and would soon resume. The following day, we got a medical report that he would not be able to resume on November 30 because he was ill. The doctor said he was placing him on two weeks sick leave. We left matters at that until Saturday morning when a telephone call from Folorunso Atta, my colleague at the defunct Daily Times and a crack crime reporter like Jude, changed everything. Whenever Atta calls, he regales me with his exploits of late. But on this day, that was not to be.

I sensed that something was wrong from Atta’s voice, which was too low for my liking. I was about asking if all was well when he said: Man Lawi, Jude ti ku; o ku laro yi. Meaning: Jude is dead; he died this morning. I was dazed by the news and promptly asked Atta, ”how did you learn of his death?” He told me he got the information from Jude’s neighbour, who works with a paper in Anambra State. When I saw Jude Uche Isiguzo last in October, I didn’t know that I will never see him again. Jude was a lively and easy-going person. His philosophy was live and let’s live and was at home with everybody. What could have killed Jude I wanted to know from his neighbour. Did he undergo surgery?

‘No, he didn’t undergo surgery”, the guy said. ”So, what killed him?” I asked. Like me, the guy had been shattered by the news of Jude’s death. He pleaded with me to let him be and I understood what he was going through, especially as he said he was standing beside Jude’s body. Jude was a lovable person because of his simplicity. He was everybody’s person as shouts of olopa rang out from every corner whenever he was in the newsroom. Though, he was chairman of our chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), he did not allow that to affect his job. He was on top of events on his beat. You can trust him to deliver if news breaks on his beat. What could have cut Jude down in the prime of life?

His wife Gwen told us on Sunday that he was already getting better and that the family was planning to hold a thanksgiving after he left the hospital. Instead of a thanksgiving, we are now planning for Jude’s funeral. What an irony of life. We take consolation in the fact that he lived well and touched lives. As the Editor, Gbenga Omotoso, told Gwen last Sunday, it is not how long, but how well. As part of the funeral rites, our chapel yesterday held a candlelight procession for Jude. Decked in black, members walked from the office in Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos, to the nearby Palm Avenue intersection and back on his memory. My heart goes out to Gwen and other members of the Isiguzo family. Adieu Olopa. May you find rest in the Lord’s bosom.

December 4, 2014
Abba: The strongarm police chief

Although he is a lawyer, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, has shown no regard for the courts since he assumed office. He has the appearance of a gentleman officer, but all he cares about is doing the bidding of those who appointed him. He has turned himself into a court of law.

He first bared his fangs when he withdrew the security aides of House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, declaring that he was no longer the Speaker having joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). He interpreted the Constitution, even though he is not a court.

Last week, Abba showed up before the House Committee on Police Affairs to shed light on the November 20 invasion of the National Assembly when Tambuwal and other members were tear-gassed.

The meeting, however, ended abruptly because Abba refused to acknowledge Tambuwal as Speaker in his speech, drawing the ire of the committee members.

He described the lawmakers who climbed the gate to enter the complex as “suspected hoodlums” and blamed the security beef-up at the National Assembly on the Salvation Rally by the APC a day before.

Abba said because of the “suspected hoodlums” who followed “Alhaji Tambuwal” into the complex, a tear gas canister “exploded” and the incident “is being investigated”.

He said the security arrangement was going well “until when that was disrupted at the arrival of Alhaji Tambuwal”.

Members were angry when the IGP continuously referred to the Speaker as “Alhaji Tambuwal”, expressing disdain at the manner the IGP was disrespecting the Speaker.

Since he was appointed Acting IGP, Abba has made controversial decisions. Granted, he is playing out the script of the government controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but the manner he goes about it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Many had thought that having served as the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command before he moved to the Force Headquarters as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), he would bring his gentlemanly mien to bear on the job.

Having also served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to Maryam Abacha, wife of former military ruler Sani Abacha who died in 1998 before being promoted to Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 7 on February 22, 2012, it was expected that Abba would consolidate on the good works of his predecessor.

But, despite his academic background, including a first degree in History, and another degree in Law, in addition to attending the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS) in Kuru near Jos, the Plateau State capital, many are disappointed by Abba’s disregard for the law.

He was promoted IGP on August 1 ahead of no fewer than eight superiors and many expected him to perform his duties with a sense of humility and professionalism which youth brings. Instead, he turned himself to a court of court.

Announcing the withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security, he said: “In view of the recent defection by the Right Hon. Aminu Waziri Tanbuwal, CFR, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress and having regard to the clear provision of section 68(1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the Nigeria Police Force, has redeployed its personnel attached to his office.”

The section states: “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if – (g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected; Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”

Abba ignored Tambuwal’s argument that there was a division in the PDP, resulting in a factional ‘New PDP’, which eventually merged with the APC.

After his security aides were withdrawn, Tambuwal went to court to challenge the Federal Government’s action executed through Abba. The Speaker is seeking an order of mandamus against the IGP reinstating his security aides.

Tambuwal is also praying for a perpetual injunction restraining the PDP and its National Chairman, Adamu Muazu; the House of Representatives; the Deputy Speaker of the House; the acting IGP; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) from taking steps to remove him as Speaker before the expiration of his tenure on June 5, next year.

Instead of waiting for the suit to be determined, Abba stuck to his gun, insisting that Tambuwal was no longer speaker by not recognising him as such.

Abba did not take into consideration Tambuwal’s averment before the court: “I know as a fact that all efforts to harmonise the factions of the PDP in my home state in Sokoto has failed as there are still factions in the state.

“I informed the members of the 3rd defendant (House) whilst announcing my decision to join the New PDP faction, which merged with the 2nd plaintiff (APC) that my membership of the 2nd plaintiff was based on the circumstances in my home state.”

IGP also ignored two different court decisions that the seats of other former members of the New PDP, who are now members of the APC cannot be declared vacant.

Tambuwal had cited the case of the PDP and other vs. Honourable Rasak Atunwa and 20 others, in suit No: FHC/IL/CS/6/2014 delivered on June 26; as well as the case of Ibrahim Magaji Gusau and two others vs Honourable Lawal Mohammed Zyyana and 20 others, in suit No: FHC/S/CS/4/2014 delivered on July 3.

The APC has condemned Abba’s refusal to reognise Tambuwal as Speaker. In a statement in Osogbo by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said by refusing to recognise a Speaker elected by 360 members of the House of Representatives, and a Speaker who had neither been impeached by those who elected him nor removed by a court, the police boss had thumbed his nose at the constitution.

“As the Speaker, Tambuwal is the symbol of authority of the House and our country’s number four citizen. By saying he does not recognise him as the Speaker, the IG has also indicated he does not recognise the House of Representatives. For a man who was not elected by anybody to make this impertinent assertion about elected representatives of the people is tantamount to treason. Mr. Abba has shunned all pretences to neutrality, professionalism and decency and he is no longer fit to occupy the important office of the IG,” it said.

The party said Abba could have been helpless, as not obeying his employers could mean losing his job.

“The truth is that he is dancing to a drum of perfidy being beaten by his masters at the Aso Rock Villa. In the process, he has acted in contravention of his oath of office.”

A coalition of civil rights organisations under the aegis of the “Nigerians for Survival of Democracy” expressed reservations about free and fair election next year because of the partisan role of the police and the Department of State Security (DSS), which it said “have become private security of the ruling party.”

Tambuwal files contempt charge

Tambuwal wants Abba committed to prison for failing to recognise him as Speaker. He filed a motion to this effect at the Federal High Court, Abuja last Thursday.

According to the Speaker, Abba’s refusal to recognise his office when he appeared before the House Committee on November 26 was a violation of the order made by the court on November 7.

The court had directed parties in the suit to maintain the status quo.

Tambuwal, therefore, wants the court to direct Abba to appear “in person and show cause why he should not be committed to prison for contempt of the order of this court ordering maintenance of status quo on November 7, 2014 and/or for acting in manners and ways which showed disrespect to the court.”

After Tambuwal’s counsel, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), leading eight Senior Advocates and 69 other lawyers, moved the motion before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, the judge directed that it was fair that Abba be heard on the issue raised in the motion.

He said even President Jonathan has continued to recognise and address Tambuwal in official correspondence as “Honourable Speaker,” in obedience to the court’s order of November 7. He displayed copies of such letters from the President.

Justice Mohammed said since Abba was represented by a lawyer in the substantive case, it was fair that he should be put on notice in relation to the allegation that he disobeyed a subsisting order of the court.

The judge, relying on the provision of Order 26 Rule 10 of the court’s Civil Procedure Rules 2009, ordered that Tambuwal should convert the ex-parte application to motion on notice and directed that Abba be served with it.

Tambuwal hinged his fresh motion on 15 grounds, including that Abba acted in ways that showed that he had no regard for the court. He stated that despite Abba’s lawyer’s undertaking that his client would not do anything to tamper with the res (subject of litigation) in the main suit, the IGP, who is also a lawyer, has refused to obey the court’s order.

The Speaker cited other instances where the IGP allegedly violated the court’s order, such as when he sent some armed policemen to barricade the entrance of the National Assembly, thereby denying him access to his office.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was among several groups and individuals who have condemned the IGP’s actions. Its President, Augustine Alegeh (SAN) said Abba lacked the competence to determine whether or not a provision of the Constitution has been violated.

“That is a function reserved for the courts of law exclusively. We must state that the mere fact that Tambuwal defected from one party to the other whilst being the Speaker of the House of Representatives does not automatically strip him of his position as Speaker and the attendant protection by the Police,” NBA said.

Former NBA President, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) said Abba’s action was unconstitutional. “It is the duty of the court to interpret the Constitution, not the police,” he said.

Lagos-based lawyer, George Oguntade (SAN) said: “It is important to restate that the police institution should detach itself from any involvement in partisan politics. Its constitutional role and functions are clearly delineated.”

A former NBA General Secretary, Olumuyiwa Akinboro, said: “The action of the IGP is unconstitutional, undemocratic, autocratic as he lacks not only the constitutional powers, but also the ability and capability to determine the vacancy or otherwise of the seat of the Speaker.”

Former Lagos State House of Assembly member Babatunde Ogala said: “It is for the House members to determine that Tambuwal would no longer be their Speaker by removing him. Neither the presidency nor the police have such powers in law.”

December 2, 2014
Jonathan, Abba and PDP Police at work

‘If Abba does not understand the implication of his actions for the health of our fragile democracy, we cannot say the same of his principals. Or could it be they just don’t give a damn about the inevitable collapse of a tripod with two disabled legs?’

As one of those who in 2011 demonized Buhari on account of his human right abuses as military head of state back in 1984, I am daily haunted by the unheeded warning of Sonala Olumhense, one of Nigerian most gifted writers that voting Jonathan would amount to giving him a licence to sell what is left of Nigeria to PDP. The verdict is today self evident. The fight against economic saboteurs Jonathan claimed to have identified at the onset of his administration, the quest for a culture of free and fair election, the battle against insurgency, resolution of the national question through convocation of national confab, at the end were all about what was in them for Jonathan and PDP and not about Nigerians. Even the celebrated 16 years of unbroken democratic dispensation was at the expense of separation of power – the soul of democracy. Jonathan has continued to take delight in the subversion of the legislative and judicial arms of government.

To be fair to Jonathan, he inherited the war against separation of power from ex-President Obasanjo who shuffled senate presidents and speakers of both the upper and lower houses according to his mood. He routinely disobeyed court orders. Picking up from where Obasanjo stopped, Jonathan unsuccessfully attempted to plant pliable leaders on the National Assembly. His failure produced Speaker Waziri Tambuwal. He has however secured more successes in undermining the judiciary which started with his unjust persecution of Justice Isa Ayo Salami for ruling against PDP governors who stole the people’s mandates in Edo, Ondo, and Ekiti and Osun states.

With the exploits of Suleiman Abba who was Rivers State Police Commissioner (2009-2012) before he was promoted above his contemporaries and seniors as IG, he seems to have been specifically recruited to subvert the two other arms of government. Although described by newspapers as an officer with ”vast experience in criminal investigation, intelligence-led police”, he probably left those virtues back in the Nigeria Police before taking on a new cloak of ‘PDP’ Inspector General of Police. And he has not disappointed the president and PDP. Femi Falana has just written to him citing three instances where the police had displayed “political bias” since his appointment: the arrest and detention of over 700 leaders of All Progressive Congress (APC),” during the Osun State governorship election which took place on August 9, the illegal ban on Bring Back our Girls campaigners within the Federal Capital Territory (already overruled by the courts) and his withdrawal of the security details of Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker of the House of Representatives because he decamped from PDP. He has achieved more for PDP. Unfortunately the party’s gain is the nation’s loss.

Now With Abba as PDP-IG, our hard earned democracy seems to have come under severe strain. We have since witnessed an already emasculated Ekiti judiciary which was unable to convict Ayo Fayose after 52 appearances and months of detention by EFCC over charges of corruption and murder brought against him after his impeachment in 2006, subjected to further assault when judges were assaulted in their court rooms by thugs supervised by Ayo Fayose and the PDP Police in Nigerian Police uniform. The legislative arm of government suffered no less a fate in the same state.

There, the only seven PDP lawmakers in a legislative house of 26 members, were ferried in government bus, protected by over three hundred armed police men to the state House of Assembly where they hilariously pronounced the Speaker and his deputy impeached, while naming Dele Olugbemi the new speaker. Few minutes later, the state governor was telling Channels Television reporters he dalready recognised the kangaroo election of Olugbemi and was prepared to work with him. This charade was quickly followed by congratulatory messages from ‘the conglomeration of the Transport Unions, Commercial Motorcyclists, market men and women, the governor’s main constituency. Then Fayose told his supporters, many of them thugs, to go and get ready to battle imminent invasion of the state by thugs to be imported by the 19 majority lawmakers from Lagos and Osun states. And taking a cue from the governor, the police quickly followed with a statement claiming that “The State Police Command has received an intelligence report that some group of people are planning to invade the state to disrupt the existing peace and cause break down of law and order”. It is obvious to discernible Nigerians that Fayose’s fabricated information which preceded the so-called police intelligence report are parts of war against the state legislature whose 19 members had given notice of their imminent return from their hide-out in Lagos to challenge the illegality of the governor and the police.

In neighbouring Edo State, bulldozing Abba has on behalf of his principals, demolished the state House of Assembly. According to the state government “four honourable members who refused to abide by their suspension order have continued to hold illegal sittings in the House of Assembly Complex, which is undergoing renovation, with the connivance of five other valid PDP lawmakers and with the aid of the Nigeria Police.” The police that are protecting those flouting court orders was unable to provide security for the majority 15 APC lawmakers who have relocated to the governor’s office.

Abba has equally bared his teeth in Lagos. A combined team of over 50 security operatives’ from the DSS and OP-MESA stormed the APC Data Centre in Ikeja, pulled down the gates, destroyed over a dozen computers, servers and arrested 25 APC data agents and three security guards, while carting away 31 bags of Ghana-must-go raw data to Abuja. Ms Marilyn Ogar, the spokesman for DSS justified the brigandage saying their action followed a petition that “cloning” of permanent voters card was going on with the intention of hacking into INEC’s database, corrupting it and replacing them with the “cloned” data.’ And without thinking, she added: “We are being proactive on account of the security situation in the country, you know that the Boko Haram has been targeting Lagos and so, we cannot afford the petition lying low.”

If you are wondering what that has got to do with cloning of PVCs cards, then you are also forgetting they need to explain their miserable mission. Besides, since it is only a thief that can identify the footprint of another thief on stone, it is not impossible PDP is engaged in cloning of PVCs in Lagos. Didn’t Fashola recently raise an alarm about missing names of 1.4m voters? Add that to the bungling of the distribution of the PVCs by INEC in Lagos?

And finally, displaying his enormous and unrestrained power, Abba’s last Thursday assault on the National Assembly carried the signature tune of a president who always plays the ostrich. Obviously, the president employed the debate about emergency as a decoy to plan the removal of Tambuwal as speaker. Abba’s men at about 10:2 a.m, gave the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha with his full official protocol and convoy, free access into the National Assembly unhindered. So were many other PDP lawmakers including the deputy majority leader Leo Ogor. But the PDP Police could not recognize the Speaker even after formally introducing himself saying – “Gentlemen, my names are Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and I am the Speaker of the House of Representatives”. When the speaker abandoned his car and walked to the National Assembly lobby, PDP policemen paid by Nigerian taxpayers, fired three tear gas canisters at him and fired more tear gas canisters into the lobby resulting in the fainting of two of Tambuwal aides. If Abba does not understand the implication of his actions for the health of our fragile democracy, we cannot say the same of his principals. Or could it be they just don’t give a damn about the inevitable collapse of a tripod with two disabled legs?

November 27, 2014
ACF, Ango Abdullahi, Junaid lambast IG Abba over invasion

The mouthpiece of Northern Nigerian, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and other leading voices from the region have condemned last Thursday’s invasion of the National Assembly by the police, saying that, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba has dragged Nigeria’s reputation into the mud.

In their separate reactions, ACF Chairman, IGP Ibrahim Ahmadu Coommasie (Rtd), spokesman of the Northern Elders’ Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi and former federal legislator, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, said the IGP must be summoned before the National Assembly to explain his action.

According to Junaid, “First of all, I condemn the intrusion of the police into the politics of this country. We are not a dictatorship, we area democracy.

“The Inspector General of Police has no business interpreting the law, interfering with the parliamentary process. He has no business asking the police to go into the premises of the National Assembly. So, he has no business to identify who is a member of the National Assembly and who occupies what position in the assembly.

“This is an indication that this man, who is the Inspector General of Police was appointed for a purpose. And as he goes into doing the job which he was hired to do, we might as well say, goodbye to Nigeria’s democracy or we stay and fight for it to finish.

“Absolutely, one does not need to be a genius to know that. That is the reason while he got the job and he is acting the script written for him by the President and the PDP”, he said.

He, however, called on the National Assembly, particularly the Senate to pass a vote of no confidence on the IGP.

Dr. Junaid equally condemned IGP Abba for advising politicians on how to garner votes in election, saying, that “the man (IGP) himself cannot win a ward in Kano, if he decide, to contest elections”.

In his own reaction, ACF Chairman, Coommasie, said the invasion of the Police into the National Assembly is a national shame.

He said: “It is a national shame and I must say I am disappointed in both the IGP Suleiman Abba and members of the House themselves for scaling through the fence to gain access into the assembly premises”.

Coommasie further described the situation as an indication that Nigeria is drafting into anarchy.

He said the Police boss must have acted on superior instruction, otherwise, why would he have deployed police to the assembly?

“There is more that meet the eyes. But the fact will surely come out. I read in the paper that he said that they had gone there to maintain law and order. What necessitated that?”

Professor Ango Abdullahi said: “It is unfortunate that we now have a man who doesn’t know his job, or if he knows his job, he has ignored the constitution of this country. He is no longer the Inspector General of Police for all Nigerians and the Nigerian state. He is Inspector General of a particular political party and IG of particular Nigerians by virtue of the positions they hold.

“If he is the IG of the Nigerian state, he certainly will not behave the way he has behaved within the last two weeks.”

November 22, 2014
Abba: The first 100 days

IT has been more than 100 days since July 31 when Suleiman Abba was named Acting Inspector–General of Police. The next day at the Villa in Abuja, he excitedly raised his hands like a politician and flashed those toothy smiles as he posed for photographers. If not for the uniform, many would have thought he was just an ordinary fellow who had just won the lottery. But then, isn’t a police chief’s job seen among officers as hitting the jackpot?

There were hopes and expectations of a new era amid daunting tasks. Boko Haram had moved from a band of violent intruders to an army of insurgents, snatching town after town and village after village to realise its dream of a caliphate. Armed robbers seized cities by the throat, as if they had sworn to an oath to avenge some inexplicable wrong. Kidnappers cut short what looked like a short vacation and stepped up their evil trade. Communal clashes failed to subside.

Abba, a tested officer, vowed to tackle them all. He set his hand to the plough. But time, that old trickster, is at its game. It is just a little over 100 days since Abba mounted the saddle. Now, many are saying haba!

He announced his arrival with a massive shake-up, which many an observer insisted was made to favour his cronies. A police chief eager to change things would have departed from the old way of seeing postings as a largesse for the boys, but a tool for fundamental change that will enhance professionalism and change the perception of the police as an organisation with little or no redeeming feature. An officer is asked to police an area that is strange to him in culture and history. He ends up muddling things up. This won’t ever help the police.

Abba was never bothered by such criticisms. He was too busy making history. Now it shall be recorded that under him the Police Academy in Gwarzo was on August 20 seized and turned into a Boko Haram camp. Besides, no fewer than 30 trainee-policemen were abducted, perhaps never to be found again, their families left to mourn their horrific fate.

Good news–Abba said yesterday that one had returned; now 29 missing. Will they ever return?

When reporters pestered him with questions on the trainees, Abba would sometimes reply that efforts were being made to secure their release, saying nothing about the nature of such efforts and who was making them. Other times, he sounded helpless, pleading for help to find the missing men.

If a police training facility could be overrun and annexed so easily by Boko Haram insurgents, then the September 18 invasion of the College of Education in Kano was no surprise. A gang of gunmen stormed the school while lectures were in full swing. They were shooting and throwing bombs. The pandemonium was unimaginable. By the time the smoke cleared off the scene, 13 students lay dead. Two gunmen also died.

These incidents, one had thought, were enough to embarrass any police chief. Not so Abba. Some of his men are redefining the job, even as he carries on like a builder who has no architectural drawing.

The repulsive abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls has elicited emotional reactions from the world. The BringBackOurGirls campaigners have been meeting in Abuja to arouse whatever is left of the government’s conscience to the need for these girls’ rescue. First, the government called the protesters names and claimed –without any proof whatsoever – that they were being sponsored by the opposition. Then, it encouraged those campaigning for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term to mount electronic billboards as a kind of distraction at the venue of the daily protests. Instead of deterring the protesters, the cowardice fired them up the more – to the shame of the Jonathan-for-2015 crowd.

Enter Mbu Joseph Mbu. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Commissioner suddenly announced that rallies had been banned, warning the Chibok girls campaigners to go home or get arrested. The world was appalled. Abba watched as Mbu turned the police into a laughing stock, until a court stepped in to stop the joke, ruling that the police could not ban rallies.

But Mbu wasn’t done. Puffed up with conceit, he recalled his tour of duty in Rivers State and described himself as a leopard who tamed the lion – a curious allegorical allusion to his unnecessary running battle with Governor Rotimi Amaechi, in which he was apparently doing the Villa’s bidding.

Not quite long after, a reporter, Amaechi Anakwe, described Mbu as controversial in a report. Mbu “the lion” roared into action. He seized the reporter and hurled him into detention. The next day, he bundled the poor fellow before a magistrate. He was granted bail.

It is not on record that Abba called Mbu to order. There were suggestions that he gave Mbu a slap on the wrist because he was afraid that the Villa could reprimand him.

Not long ago, former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Okey Wali was kidnapped. Lawyers cried out. His family screamed and prominent Nigerians pleaded for his release. His abduction provided a vivid picture of the danger we all face. Eventually, Wali was let go by his abductors, obviously after getting a hefty ransom. The police are yet to arrest a suspect.

As if these were not nauseating enough, the police became an accomplice in the assault on the Judiciary, an institution it is expected to protect and respect. When the then governor-elect of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose, visited the Election Petition Tribunal where his victory at the June 21 election was being challenged, a band of thugs went on the rampage on the premises, which also houses the State High Court, smashing windows and tearing documents. A judge was beaten up, his dress shredded. The police watched the scene, unmoved.

Besides, the police also lent their strength to the despicable siege to the courts, sealing off the place and preventing judges from sitting for many days. The louder the protestations against this aberration, the longer Abba and his men stood their ground. At a point when they no longer could shut down an arm of the government without an explanation – an action legal giants described as a coup – the police said they were simply keeping their lordships from harm’s way as they had found a bomb on the premises. “Could you show us the bomb?” “How soon will it be removed?” their lordships asked the police. There was no answer.

But the National Judicial Council (NJC) insisted that the rights of the courts to adjudicate on disputes without hassles from any quarters must be enforced. The Chief Judge should reopen the courts, it said. By that time, the partisanship and stupidity of the police had become so glaring that they could no longer hide behind one finger. They then withdrew from the courts. No apologies. No regrets. No qualms. Haba!

Louis Edet, Kam Salem and all those other noble souls who nursed the police to maturity must be spinning in their graves.

The other day when House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal dumped the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Villa’s anger hit the overdrive. Apparently playing the good boy, Abba – parading a dubious interpretation of the law – withdrew Tambuwal’s guards.

Abba’s police became the PDP’s court and the enforcer of the law. There were cases in court on the matter of politicians leaving one party for another. That did not matter to Abba. A court has ruled that he was wrong. We await his reaction.

It is not as if Abba’s report card has been all-red. No. The other day in Edo State, a man lured a dog into an uncompleted building and slept with the animal. Neighbours seized him and raised the alarm. The police, ever vigilant, promptly arrested the suspect and announced that he would soon be charged to court. The owner of the dog, apparently disappointed by its attitude, disowned it. The police are yet to tell us what fate befell the poor dog. Neither do we know if the suspect has been taken to court. Investigations continue? Anyway, I am told, the suspect remains on bail – remember bail is free o!

Dogs seem to be giving Abba’s police a nightmare. Two dogs that attacked a kid at Igando on the outskirts of Lagos have been booked. Their owner has been arrested after a painstaking investigation conducted by experienced officers. The dogs, I learnt, will soon have their day in court. Good job. A sloppy police would have found the dogs but not their owners or the owners and not the dogs. Abba’s police found both. Bravo!

A word for Abba and all those using the police to promote impunity: anarchy blows no siren. We must avoid it. How? By building institutions and respecting the rule of law.

November 13, 2014
IGP orders audit of police arsenal

Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Suleiman Abba has ordered a nationwide audit of police armouries.

In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, the IGP said the audit would enable the police to review the state of arms and ammunition in stock at various police armouries.

The statement reads: “As part of measures to strengthen accountability of the stock of weaponry of the Nigeria Police Force, Acting Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba has ordered a thorough check and audit of police armouries nationwide.

“The exercise, which has already begun, will cover all police commands, formations, stations and units across the country. This measure will also enable the Force to review the state of arms and ammunition in stock at various police armouries.”

October 23, 2014
Osun election, corruption top Abba’s challenges

Like other sectors of the society, the police have battled corruption. This is one of the challenges facing the acting Inspector General of Police Suleiman Abba. Many will be watching out for how he handles the general elections, especially the Osun governorship poll, writes JUDE ISIGUZO

Some years back, a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police was a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in a police station on Lagos mainland. He made any policeman posted to his station to sign an undertaking that he or she would not be corrupt.

The retired DIG documented this undertaking in a file. On the other hand, he set a target for the policeman on how much money they were expected to bring to him at the end of every week. He warned his men to ensure that they were not caught extorting money from members of the public by the Police Monitoring Unit, a department responsible for arresting corrupt policemen, as he would deny them using their undertaking as evidence.

A policeman, who worked with the retired DIG, said: “Some week when we did not meet our target, we borrowed money from members of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and filling station attendants to make up because he would not listen to any excuse. All he cared about was his returns.

“Those that were caught in trying to meet with their target he denied them by presenting the undertaking that was signed by the affected policeman. He would go on to tell the Monitoring team how he hated corruption and corrupt policemen and that was why he made them sign an undertaking before they would start working with him.”

Corruption in the police, according to analysts, is the number one challenge before acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sulaiman Abba.

Favouritism is another problem analysts have identified as dragging down the force. There are police officers and men who have been serving in a Divisional Police Station, Mobile Police Squadrons, command, units and Departments for a decade. These officers are so rich that they have the money to bribe their superiors to leave them where they are serving. Abba should discourage such practice and ensure that all policemen under him and in his time should enjoy equal right. This will discourage corruption. Abba should also continue with the no road block order introduced by his predecessor as it has reduced incidents of accidental discharge, harassment and intimidation of members of the public on the highway.

Another issue the new IGP needs to address is that of covering up police officers and men who have been indicted for stealing from members of the public. Many a time, police officers had turned complainants to accused, converted belongings of a suspect while investigation is ongoing and are even indicted for kidnap and murder. Rather than punish these officers, some of them have even been celebrated and promoted. Cases abound. A former CP in Abia and Rivers states, who is now an Assistant Inspector General (AIG), was indicted while serving as CP Rivers for stealing three exotic cars belonging to an accused person while investigation was still ongoing. He was alleged to have converted one of the cars to personal use and sold the other two to his friends at a ridiculous price. The accused petitioned the Special Fraud Unit and the case was re-investigated and the CP indicted. But rather than punish him, the CP was promoted to the rank of AIG.

Divisional Police Officers have been indicted for allegedly killing innocent citizens in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country but at the end of the day, nothing comes out of the investigations. Abba should discourage this practice.

Welfare is one area Abba really needs to address and fast too. Policemen should be encouraged to make them see their job as service to humanity and not a licence to oppress, intimidate and extort members of the public. When the Chairman of Police Service Commission, Mr Mike Okiro was appointed as the 13th indigenous IGP, he wept on his visit to inspect police barracks in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital and Elere in Agege, on the outskirts of Lagos. Though the renovation of those barracks that he promised was never acted upon up till date, he was able to lay a foundation for a police estate in Idimu. A flat in the estate, which is supposed to be for junior officers, is being sold for N8million. Where the force high command expects the junior officers to raise this amount from is what only they can answer. Abba should learn to march words with action by renovating the barracks if he cannot construct new ones. Salaries should be increased; promotions should come as at when due; those on special duties should be paid their allowances and retire officers and men should get their entitlements immediately after leaving service.

Family members of deceased officers and men must be paid their breadwinners’ entitlement promptly. Abba should train and re-train his men and equip the forensic department in Alagbon to handle high level investigations.

The first litmus test for Abba would be the conduct of the Osun State governorship election coming up on August 9. Nigerian are watching and expecting that Abba will not be partisan. He should be objective in his dealings with all the political parties involved to ensure a professional conduct.

In a letter to the acting IGP through its national coordinator, Okechukwu Nwanguma , Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), a network of 46 civil society organisations committed to promoting police accountability and respect for human rights, said: “We are fully appraised of the fact that the tasks confronting you as Inspector General of a large police force are enormous and daunting. The challenge of managing such an unwieldy and centralised police force in a populous, complex and troubled country is made even more herculean by historical, institutional and structural problems, as well as other factors external to the force and, therefore, beyond your control as the chief of police.

“NOPRIN and other civil society platforms have over the years continued to advocate for reforms aimed at transforming the police into a professionally effective, democratic, accountable and people-friendly service organisation which enjoys public confidence and cooperation and capable of meeting the safety and security needs of the community it serves. Over the years, the NPF has grappled with the problem of severe under-resourcing. We are also aware that budget allocations for the police are pilfered at various levels in the line of bureaucracy before they reach their final destination.

“A compromised and corruption-ridden recruitment process allows misfits and criminals to find their way into the police and continue to dent its image. The police force continues to parade a poorly trained, ill-equipped, badly paid and ill-motivated workforce that is prone to corruption and violence. Professionalism, effectiveness and integrity are hindered by political interference by political authorities that have no more than rhetorical commitment to police reform.

“However, while these external incapacitating factors are not within the control of the IGP, there still remains some space for any IGP who is genuinely committed to reform to show leadership. With determination, you can creatively exercise powers and ensure that things within your control in the system work well. We believe that with commitment and determination, you can improve in the areas where your predecessors have not fared very well. You can, for example, make it clear to police officers that their duty is to serve and protect their communities and not to prey on them. Police officers ought to be protectors, not predators. Human rights abuses breed public resentment and erode public trust and cooperation. You must constantly remind them of the ‘… obvious that the duties of the Nigeria Police Force are a direct consequence of the powers conferred on it by law. It becomes mandatory that the law must regulate the performance of its duties relating to arrest, detention, search, and seizure and the use of force. In other words, these duties must be exercised strictly within the limits prescribed for the Police by law. And any form of exercise of these powers which does not strictly conform to the prescriptions of the law can have unpleasant consequences for the Police Force (as a corporate entity, as well as for the individual Police personnel).’You can make it clear from the onset that your administration will not tolerate human rights abuses, corruption, disobedience of court orders, violation of the constitution and subversion of the due process and rule of law. As you settle down and familiarise yourself with your new office and the tasks ahead, we wish to draw your attention to some areas we respectfully think you need to pay particular attention. The NPF stinks and you need to demonstrate your commitment to sanitise it by addressing the following specific issues. Where necessary, we will illustrate with some specific cases which we had earlier brought to the attention of your predecessor, but which remain pending or unresolved. How you address these cases that touch directly on the image, integrity and operational efficiency of the police will be a litmus test to your commitment to leave the NPF better than you met it as IGP.

“You need to prioritise respect for human rights which impinges on police-public relations. You have to, perforce, vigorously pursue and promote an anti-corruption policy. Then, you must take seriously the issue of accountability for police abuse, corruption and misconduct. You must equally address, very seriously, the welfare of personnel. Failure of Accountability: Impunity for police abuses Lack of effective accountability measures to sanction and deter police misconduct accounts for the increasing number of cases of abuse and misconduct. One case, among the numerous, that illustrates impunity is the continued indefinite detention of Chinagorom Ihejiagwa by SARS Awkuzu, Anambra State in disregard of a court order. This is one of the several complaints which NOPRIN received and brought to the attention of police authorities but which has remained untreated.

“NOPRIN had written several complaints to the former IGP concerning these abuses by SARS, many of which have been reported in several newspapers. But the authorities have failed to address these complaints and the underlying causes of the abuses which make them routine. One of the very dangerous practices portraying the police in a very negative light and which you must address urgently is police contempt and disregard for Court Orders. You must take steps to change the attitude of the police to court orders. Ihejiagwa was arrested by SARS Awkuzu and has been detained since May 31, 2014. He has been denied access to his family members and his lawyers. The O/C SARS has also refused to charge him to court. He was arrested by one police officer attached to Awkuzu SARS and simply identified as ‘Pele’. Although ‘Pele’ accused him of buying a stolen vehicle two years ago and refused to ‘settle’ him, the O/C SARS, Awkuzu, Mr. James Nwafor later told Chiagorom’s brother that he is a ‘confessed kidnapper’ and that ‘we will kill him’.

“We call on you to demonstrate that the Nigeria Police under your administration will do away with the odious practice of shielding criminals and covering up crime and that you will show sensitivity to public concerns by responding to public demand for justice in this case. Please, do not allow this matter to be swept under the carpet.

“The issue of Police personnel welfare, you must make bold to make a strong case for an increase in the remuneration and allowances of officers. Salaries and allowances must be paid in full and on time. Those on special duties must be catered for in terms of their travel, accommodation, hazard and other allowances. Family members of police officers who die in line of duty must be treated with fairness and compassion. Their deceased breadwinners’ entitlements must be released to them in full and on time. They must not be thrown out of the barracks while the police force owes them their entitlements. You must also make bold to let the Federal Government understand your operational challenges and the need for the government to adequately equip, train and motivate personnel to enable them discharge their functions and effectively deal with crime and insecurity.”

August 4, 2014
Abba is Acting IGP

The police have a new chief.

Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Suleiman Abba was yesterday named Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP). He replaces Mohammed Abubakar, in the saddle from January 2012 till yesterday when he retired after 35 years in service.

President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Abba, according to statement by his spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati.

The statement said: “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the appointment of AIG Suleiman Abba as the Acting Inspector-General of Police.

“AIG Abba, currently the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, comprising Abuja, Kaduna and Niger states, replaces the incumbent Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar, who proceeds on statutory retirement today having completed 35 years in service.

“The incoming Inspector-General, a lawyer, hails from Jigawa State and is an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies.

“Positions previously held by him in the Police include Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, FCT Command, Deputy Force Secretary and Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.

“His appointment is with effect from Friday, August 1, 2014.”

Abba’s appointment has laid to rest speculations that Abubakar, whose tenure extension bid was spearheaded by Vice President Namadi Sambo, would stay in the police a day longer than his retirement date.

Abba was the Chairman of Police Cooporative and was ADC to Mrs. Maryam Abacha during the tenure of the late General Sani Abacha as military Head State.

Abba, 55, was born on March 22, 1959. He hails from Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State. He was enlisted into the police on December 31, 1984. Abba became an AIG on February 22, 2012, a few days after his predecessor was appointed the Inspector General of Police.

The new IGP served in various capacities and at various police formations. He was once the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of State CID at the Federal Capital Territory Command. From there, he moved to the Force Headquarters as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Deputy Force Secretary).

Abba is described by police sources as “an officer without controversy”. With the 2015 general elections around the corner, his major challenge and test of character may come from the way he handles the elections.

His first challenge may come from next Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

If he serves out his full term as IGP, Abba, with Service No. AP24176, is expected to retire on March 22, 2019.

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Mike Okiro, congratulated Abba on his appointment.

In a statement yesterday, Okiro, a one time IGP, advised Abba to rise up to the challenges of his new appointment.

He noted that as a tested officer who had various Command positions, he had no doubt that Abba would bring new perspectives in the search for solutions to the security threats confronting the nation.

August 1, 2014