The Acting Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has declared that findings by police investigators on the July 23 twin bombings in Kaduna State indicated that the Federal Government had no hand in the attacks.
A former Head of State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, who was reportedly the target of the attacks, escaped by the whiskers. His convoy, including the vehicle he was traveling in was however badly damaged by the blasts.
Critics of the government, including the leadership of the APC had raised the alarm, accusing the federal government of having a hand in the attempt on Buhari’s life.
Abba, however, dismissed the claims, saying although a suspect is being held in connection with the blasts, there was no indication that the federal government was involved in the attack.
Abba said: “A competent team of police investigators, including forensic experts had visited the scene of the blasts. The investigators also visited victims of the blasts in hospitals and the mortuaries.
“They met with witnesses, including the highly respected Gen. Buhari and his aides who were with him on the day of the incident. But the report of the investigation absolved the government of any complicity in the attacks.”
The new police helmsman spoke at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Monday during his first meeting with Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police across the 36 states of the federation.
On Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State, the police boss assured the parties and other stakeholders that arrangements were on ground to ensure integrity of the poll.
“Arrangements are on ground for adequate security for the election. We only need to make a few adjustments here and there. An advance team of officers and men are already on ground in Osun since last Saturday. We are going to deploy another team on Wednesday to join the personnel on ground.
“I will not disclose the number of personnel to be deployed in Osun, but we are going to deploy enough hands. There won’t be any problem because we are doing everything possible to ensure that the integrity of the poll is maintained,” Abba stated.
The Acting IGP assured that police personnel would observe established code of conduct and ethics before, during and after the elections.
He disclosed that as the DIG in charge of Zone 7, he chaired a special committee that drew up arrangements and preparations for the 2015 general election before his appointment as IGP last week.
