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Tag: Ibrahim Idris

  • IYC kicks as police post four commissioners to Bayelsa in two weeks 

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Worldwide, has criticised the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, for posting four commissioners of police to Bayelsa State within two weeks.

    The Secretary-General of the IYC, Mr. Alfred Kemepado, said that it was suspicious curious for the Force Headquarters to post four commissioners of police to one state, within such a short period of time.

    He alleged that the action of the Force Headquarters alleged was a surreptitious plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to politicize the security architecture of the state using the police.

    He insisted that the aim was to cause  instability and destabilize Bayelsa and appealled to the police not to allow themselves to be used by politicians.

     

    Kemepado said the Commissioner of Police, Don Awunah, was removed after he had worked very hard in collaboration with sister security agencies to safeguard the state within a short period of his deployment to the state.

    He lamented the frequent change of guard in the leadership of the police in the state within two weeks following the redeployment of Awunah.

    He listed the police commissioners posted to Bayelsa in the last two weeks to include Joseph Mukan, Ahmed Bello, Ahmad Abdulrahman and Austin Iwar.

    He recalled that critical stakeholders had earlier warned against politicization of security in the interests of peace.

    Kemepado said that following the transfer of Awunah to the headquarters, Bayelsa had been left without a police commissioner.

    He said that the IYC’s investigations indicated that, no police commissioner had taken over from Don Awunah, almost two weeks after his redeployment from the state to Force Headquarters, Abuja.

    He said before any of the commissioners posted after Awunah could resume duties in Bayelsa, the police headquarters would issue a fresh directive changing the posting.

    “While it is the duty of the Force Headquarters to determine the posting of police officers to formations within and outside the country, we find it troubling that, four commissioners of police have been posted to Bayelsa State in the past two weeks.

    “We in the IYC, the umbrella body of all Ijaw youths across Nigeria are inclined to believe that, this frequent deployment of police commissioners to Bayelsa might be traceable to political desperation and tendency to cause instability in the state.

    “We wish to make it clear that, instability in Bayelsa, the only homogenous Ijaw State in Nigeria, could cause instability across the Niger Delta.

    “It is on this note that, we call on the Force Headquarters and the IGP to exercise restraint and resist the plot by desperate politicians to use police authorities to politicize the security in the state.”

    He warned that the IYC would mobilize against any attempt to cause instability to score cheap political goals in the state.

  • Offa robbery: Court invites IGP over governor’s aide’s detention

    A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Friday summoned the Inspector -General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to appear before it to justify the continued detention of Personal Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed,  Lekan Alabi, who was arrested in connection with the April 5 armed robbery in Offa.

    The court ordered the IGP to appear next Wednesday.

    Lead counsel to the Alabi, Adebayo Adelodun (SAN), had lamented the failure of the police to release another suspect, Alhaji Babatunde Abdulwahab, the Chief of Staff to the governor, who has been granted bail by another high court in the state.

    Adelodun, who is leading four other lawyers, told journalists after Friday’s proceeding that the refusal of the police to obey the court’s order on Abdulwahab portends grave danger to democracy and would lead to loss of confidence in the police.

     

     

  • Saraki’s refusal to honour Police invitation disrespectful – Police

    The Nigeria Police Force has described the Senate President’s refusal to honour its invitation as disrespectful.

    The Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood stated this during a morning show on Channels Television monitored by The Nation.

    “We are treating it as a disrespect to the law and we are going to take appropriate action to ensure that he complies with the rule of law because nobody is above the law.

    “The position of the law is that anybody that was alleged of an offence must make himself present.

    “He has sent a written statement to the investigation team and it was not satisfactory. There are lots of grey areas that needs to be cleared and that is why he is being invited.

    “The investigators have been directed to take all actions within the ambit of the law to ensure that there is compliance with the law because the bottom line is that we have a case that can stand the test of trial against the Senate President and we don’t want people to politicize criminality. He was indicted based on the confession of five principal suspects in Offa robbery,”Moshood stated.

    The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris wrote a letter of invitation to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki for him to clarify his involvement with five principal suspects in connection to Offa robbery.

    The confessional statements made by the suspects allegedly indicted Saraki.

    The Senate President was expected to report to the head of Intelligence Response Team at Guzape in Abuja on Tuesday by 8am but he didn’t show up.

    Instead of honoring the invitation, the Senate President’s house was besieged by some personnel of the Force but the Police Authority said it had no hand in the blockade.

    The Police also said it was investigating the matter adding that a statement has been collected from the Aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Senate President in order to ascertain what transpired.

    The Police also said the blockade was a calculated attempt for it to be embarrassed adding that it was done to whip up sentiment.

    The Police also said its investigation has nothing to do with defection of lawmakers at the National Assembly.

    On why Saraki is being invited, Moshood said: “On the 23rd of July, an invitation was sent to him whom he acknowledged because we have reliable information that he got it. We were expecting him by 8am on Tuesday for further investigation into the Offa bank robbery where 33 people were killed.

    Read Also: Saraki explains failure to honour police invitation personally

    On the alleged blockade of his residence, he said: “If we were expecting him, why would we go and block him? We had no hand in the blockade and two press releases were sent from my office on Tuesday on the directive of the IGP for the public to know what actually transpired.

    “We have over 170 Police Mobile Force personnel attached to National Assembly and about 40 are attached directly to the Senate President.

    “Outside that, we have the Special Protection Unit that are equally attached to him, we have the ADC, the CSO. We have a lot of other Police personnel including those who are riders and drivers. So what happened on Tuesday was not a blockade by our personnel, we didn’t block the residence.

    He continued: “Those seen in the picture and video were personnel that were attached to him because we don’t even use Mercedes Benz for patrol.

    “We don’t have any Mercedes Benz in our fleet for patrol and in that picture, there was Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Those are the personnel attached to the convoy of the Senate President and those attached to his residence for his protection.

    “We have the obligation to also protect his family. The wife has policemen attached to her, also his guest house and other houses are equally protected.

    “So those seen were those attached to the Senate President but the IG concerned with public interest and the need to let Nigerians know what transpired has directed an investigation into the matter.

    “The ADC was invited because he is supposed to know the whereabouts of his principal but if the ADC is in isolation, we would want to know who called for whatsoever additional Police Personnel seen there because there was no authorised deployment from FHQ or any other Formation to block his residence.

    “You don’t go and block an empty house. What do we stand to gain by doing that? We have other means for which if we want the Senate President to comply with the dictates of the law, he would and he was invited and we were waiting for him.”

    He added: “Whoever is the officer that used that discretion to order a blockade is attached to the Senate President and that is what we want everybody to know.

    “It was circulated for the media to embarrass us. Apt to from the pictures and videos,  radio stations were also running commentary that they don’t know the whereabouts of the Senate President as at then.

    “They were also saying the house of the Deputy Senate President was also blocked. They are the heads of the legislative arm of government and we have an obligation to protect them. A thorough investigation has been ordered to know who gave that directive but we strongly believe that they are among the convoy of the Senate President.

    “If the whereabouts of the Senate President is not known, then the ADC has a right to exercise a discretion and if the discretion was exercised wrongly, then the Force has responsibility to discipline him and that is why he has made statement and he is being investigated.

    “It is important for Nigerians to know that we don’t have hand in it. If we blocked him, he wouldn’t have appeared in the Senate but he presided over activities in the Senate.”

    On whether they are working on suspicion that the Senate President arranged the blockade, Moshood said: “In the first instance, these were stage managed for the purpose of whipping up sentiment in his favour. If we were expecting him, why would we block him?”

    On whether the Force is being used as an instrument to execute a political plot against the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President, Moshood said: “The NPF is not a political party.  We are Nigeria Police Force and it is enshrined in the constitution. We are not instruments in the hand of anybody and the public must know that in total, the Senate President has far more than 100 personnels attached to his house and family.”

    The Police also assured that the rule of rule would prevail at the end of its investigation into the matter.

    “We want him to also know that in democracy, the rule of law prevails and the supremacy of law must be adhered to.”

  • IG mourns Coomassie

    The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Ibrahim Idris, has commiserate with the family of late Ibrahim Coomassie, a former Inspector-General of Police.

    The Force Public Relations’ Officer, Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said Commassie died on Thursday at the age of 76 at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Katsina after a brief illness.

    Moshood said the deceased enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as Cadet Inspector on May 11, 1964 and was trained at the Police College Ikeja.

    Read Also: Ex-IGP, Ibrahim Coomassie is dead

    “He served as the 9th Indigenous I-G between 1993 and 1999.

    “He will be buried according to Islamic rites after the Friday prayers at his residence, no. 1 Ibrahim Commassie, GRA, Katsina.

    “The I-G commiserates with his family, the good people and Government of the Kastina state and our dear nation Nigeria on this great loss,’’ he said.

    Coomassie was the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum before his death.

  • IGP orders probe of Edo policemen’s killing

    The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has directed a thorough investigation into the killing of four policemen by suspected gunmen in Sabon Gida Ora, Edo State, on Saturday.

    The Force Spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

    He said the police would pay N5million to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining perpetrators of the Abuja killing and Sabon Gida Ora attack.

    The four policemen were ambushed, killed and burnt in their patrol van by the attackers.

    Seven policemen were ambushed and killed by suspected gunmen at a roundabout in Galadimawa area of Abuja on July 3.

    He said investigation conducted so far had not established any link between the two attacks.

    NAN

     

  • Nasarawa PDP protests attacks on Gov. Fayose

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa state on Thursday staged a peaceful protest against the attack on its members in Ekiti state including the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, by officers of the Nigeria Police Force and other security operatives in the state.

    Addressing party supporters from the 13 local government areas at the state PDP secretariat, the state chairman of the party, Mr. Francis Orogwu, expressed worry over the ill treatment meted out on their members in Ekiti and described the development as undemocratic.

    Orogu, therefore, urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to remain neutral in the cause of providing security in Ekiti state election as well as the forthcoming general elections in the country.

    Hon. Orogu in a five paragraph protest letter submitted to the state commissioner of police, Nasarawa state command, Mr. Yahaya Bello, said: “Our appeal to the IGP, Mr. Ibrahim Idris is to remain neutral in the cause of providing security in Ekiti state election and in the forthcoming 2019 general elections across the country.”

    Read Also: Ekiti poll: Controversy as police disperse PDP’s rally

    He said the situation in Ekiti has scared other members of the party in Nasarawa state whether the security operatives will be neutral during the general elections, describing it as abnormal in the present political dispensation.

    According to him: “Our PDP members who were holding a peaceful rally were tear-gased and some political leaders manhandled”.

    “We are demanding for a fair play ground from all the political parties in the state,” he added.

    He, however, maintained that if the security operatives in the country continue to display act of favoritism in democratic activities, it would hinder electorates in the country from producing the best presidential candidate and candidates of their choice in the forthcoming general elections at all levels.

    He then assured all the party members in the state not to panic; declaring that PDP would clinch the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

  • Ekiti 2018: Uproar as party supporters disrupt INEC stakeholders’ meeting

    IGP, INEC boss, monarchs watch show of shame

    A stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the governorship election in Ekiti State ended abruptly as it was disrupted by party supporters.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, traditional rulers, diplomats and other dignitaries watched the show of shame in disbelief.

    Governorship candidates, party leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries left the venue amidst a charged atmosphere as party faithful, mainly People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) members shouted at one another.

    The parley which was held at Great Eagle Hall, Ikere Road, Ajebamidele, Ado-Ekiti, went on smoothly until organizers invited comments and questions from party representatives.

    The row was sparked by comments made by the PDP representative, Dr. Samuel Omotoso, who raised concerns over alleged attacks and arrest of members of his party in some communities in Oye Local Government Area.

    Omotoso, member of the House of Assembly, accused the APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of boasting that he would be declared winner the Saturday’s poll “whether he loses or not.”

    He also accused security agencies of partisanship in the build-up to the election which he said would not provide an atmosphere for a free and fair election.

    The lawmaker’s refusal to adhere to the two minutes allotted angered supporters of other parties, especially the APC faithful who became restive with the constant mentioning their candidate’s name by Omotoso.

    The audience, who wanted representatives of other parties and other stakeholders to be given the chance to address the gathering, urged organizers to stop Omotoso for using more than the time allocated.

    Read Also: INEC registers 10m new voters

    Apparently uncomfortable with the allegation against Fayemi, the APC members raised their voices to shout Omotoso down but the PDP members responded by chanting their party slogan.

    The PDP members who appeared to outnumber their APC counterparts inside the hall surged forward and started shouting “Eleka Ibo,” “Eleka Ibo” hailing their candidate who is also the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    As the PDP members surged forward, policemen and other security operatives inside the hall formed a ring around the high table where Yakubu, Idris and other dignitaries sat.

    As the party members’ unruly behavior continued, the Chairman of Ekiti State Council of Obas who is also the Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju took over the microphone and urged party members to be orderly.

    They defied the monarch and continued the row but the candidates led by left the hall one after the other leaving only PDP members who continued their shouting.

    First to leave was the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) candidate, Chief Adebisi Omoyeni who was followed by Accord candidate, Chief Abiodun Aluko, Labour Party (LP) candidate, Dr. Sikiru Lawal, Fayemi, Olusola and others.

    Earlier, the IGP Idris disclosed that a total number of 4, 390 combined forces of soldiers and other paramilitary will be deployed to complement the 30,000 policemen that have been drafted to Ekiti to monitor the election.

    Idris added that Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), an Assistant Inspector General of Police and five Commissioners of police will be in charge to give directive and ensure that the election is conducted under conducive atmosphere.

    The nation’s police chief warned political leaders and their supporters to refrain from arming thugs, saying whoever arrested will be prosecuted in line with the rule of law and laws guiding the conduct of elections.

    Idris said: “We want all party supporters to refrain from all acts that can precipitate violence at the polling booths such as canvassing for votes, wearing of party insignias, dissuading voters from voting for candidates of their choices, loitering and blaring of siren on the day of election.

    “We will also not tolerate ignoring of restriction of movement orders by the police. Don’t see election as a matter of life and death.

    “Let me state that police will not hesitate to deal with anybody no matter how highly placed found flouting electoral laws.

    “Let me call for the collaboration and support of the entire sister agencies and the INEC officials. Police officers have been warned to be of good conduct during and after the election.

    “If you notice any misconduct on the part of any police, do not hesitate to report to the senior officers on the ground or contact me directly.”

    INEC boss Yakubu said the commission decided to distribute the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to the ward level to motivate the electorate to collect to be able to exercise their franchise rights.

    He said: “For transparency, all uncollected PVCs will be brought to INEC office in Ado Ekiti and warehoused for safe keeping until a new date is fixed to resume the PVC collection.

    “However, since the Anambra State Governorship election held in November 2017, we have introduced an additional measure of transparency.

    “I wish to reassure that our officials are under strict instruction to remain neutral. We have also accredited credible foreign and local observers to monitor this election.

    “We are confident that with the arrangements we have put in place, Ekiti State Governorship election will be another good example of free, fair, credible and peaceful election and a further affirmation of the maturity of our democracy.”

    Also affirming that the election will be credible, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Prof AbdulGaniy Raji, said a total of 913, 334 have been registered by the commission out of which 667,064 had collected their PVCs.

    Raji said the commission still has a total of 246,270 unclaimed PVCs that were yet to be collected by owners.

  • Senate seeks probe of murder of nine police officers in Abuja

    Summons IGP Idris

    The Senate on Thursday asked its committee on Police Affairs to conduct thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the murder of nine policemen in Abuja.

    The upper chamber mandated the committee to invite the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to brief it on the development.

    While seven of the officers were reported to have been killed around Galadimawa area of the Federal Capital Territory on Monday, Senator Philip Aduda told his colleagues that another two were shot dead in Abaji area of the FCT.

    The lawmakers said that the police boss should brief members of the committee about the circumstances that led to the death of the policemen.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who gave the directive said that the Senate is concerned  about the gruesome killing of the policemen.

    Saraki said that it is necessary that the Senate is properly briefed about what led to the death of security personnel.

    Unknown gunmen reportedly killed the police officers on Monday night in Abuja.

    Read Also: Senate seeks probe of Lagos truck fire accident

    Although police authorities acknowledged the killing of the police men, no reason was given for their death..

    Saraki said: “We have not taken the issue of police officers that were killed in Abuja. As a National Assembly, we must be seen to be protecting people who are protecting our lives. I want your committee to find out what has happened to them.

    “We need to know what happened. We need to find a way to reach out to their families and show them that we care. Does the committee chairman have anything to say regarding this development?”

    Chairman, Senate committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, informed his colleagues that “We have invited the IGP to brief us about what happened to the police officers and the protest in Maiduguri. The IGP will brief us on Tuesday.”

    The senator representing FCT, Philip Aduda, also informed his colleagues that the killing of another two policemen in Abaji be included in the investigation.

    He said, “Apart from the seven that were killed on Monday, two were killed in Abaji area of Abuja. That brings the figure to nine at this moment.”

  • IGP sets up investigative team to unravel killers of seven policemen

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris has set up a team of investigators to unravel the killers of seven policemen in Abuja.

    The Policemen who were on stop and search duty were killed by gunmen at the Galadimawa roundabout area of Abuja on Monday night.

    The team of seven would be headed by a Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Ciroma.

    Other members of the team are; Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the IGP Special Tactical Squad (STS), Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations FCT Police Command, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Police Forensic Department, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Police Central Criminal Registry, Assistant Commissioner of Police, 2I/C IGP Intelligence Response Team, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Federal SARS and Chief Superintendent of Police, IGPSEC.

    The team is expected to report its findings to the IGP within 21 days.

    Read Also:Police recover two human skulls from suspected cultist in Calabar

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood.

    The team was also directed to work with the FCT Commissioner of Police and also ordered take over the investigation from the Command Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.

    The statement reads: “The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris has on the 3rd July, 2018 set-up a team of Specialized Crack Investigation Detectives, Police Scene of Crime Experts and Technical Intelligence Unit of the Force to investigate the ambush attack and killing of seven Policemen while on duty on 2nd July, 2018 by armed robbers/bandits.”

    Terms of reference of the team reads: “A thorough and discreet investigation of the ambush attack and killing of seven Policemen while on duty on 2nd July, 2018 by armed robbers/Bandits at Galadimawa roundabout, Federal Capital Territory.

    “The team is to unravel arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killings and detect the motives behind the ambush and killing of the seven Policemen.

    “The Team will work with the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory in the investigation of the incident and will take over further investigation into the killings from the FCT CIID

    “The Team will take any other instruction from the Inspector General of Police in ensuring the prompt resolution of the crime to bring the perpetrators to justice.

    “The Team will obtain evidence; receive complaints and information from public spirited individuals or any other member of the public with useful information that can assist them in their investigation.

    “The Team is expected to proffer strategies and recommendations to forestall similar attack in the future.”

    The Inspector General of Police urged members of the public in the FCT to cooperate with the Investigation Team.

    The Police also asked members of the public with useful information about the killing to call the following numbers: 08032003913, 08061581938 and 07057337653.

    The Force said it will not relent, despite the attack in its renewed commitment in crime prevention and control and adequate protection of lives and property throughout the country, and will ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime are brought to justice and on time.

  • Police Protest: Presidency summons IGP

    The Presidency on Monday summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris over the reported protest embarked by police personnel in Maiduguri, the Borno capital, on Monday.

    The police personnel were said to have protested over non-payment of their monthly salaries and allowances.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IGP was seen heading towards the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, at the presidential villa, Abuja.

    A source at the Presidential villa, who preferred to remain anonymous told NAN that the IGP was in the villa to brief the presidency on the  protest.

    NAN reports that the Police in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, dismissed the media report, claiming that the policemen only made inquiries on their allowances and salaries before returning to their duty posts.

    According to the statement, the delay in payment is due to late passage of the appropriation act, adding that with its assent by President Buhari, the issue will soon be addressed.