LAGOS, MAY 11, 2018 – The police authorities have resolved to drag the senate to the court to challenge the untoward action and resolution against the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris
The plan by the police to approach the courts came barely 48 hours after the angry senators declared Idris as unfit to hold public office
The Commissioner of Police (Legal), Force Headquarters, Mr. David Igbodo, stated this on Thursday while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“That declaration, we are going to challenge it (in court),” he said.
“We want the court to interpret whether each time the IGP is invited to appear before the National Assembly (NASS), whether he must, as a matter of fact, appear in person.”
The police boss and the National Assembly have not been on the same page since the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye over offences bordering on alleged murder and unlawful possession of firearms among several others.
Idris was first summoned on April 25, but he failed to appear, rather sent a DIG to represent him at the Senate, noting that he was on an official assignment to Bauchi with President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was summoned for the second time to appear on May 2, but he again failed to honour it, delegating Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Joshak Habila, whom the Senate refused to entertain.
Igbodo explained that the IGP acted in accordance with the law by delegating the DIG to represent him in an official capacity
“Official functions of the IGP can be performed by the DIG or the Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs). So why are they insisting that it must be the IGP to appear in person?
“What is personal about it? The facts are known to the DIG (Operations). The facts are known to all the DIGs. They are expected to brief the NASS, why are they making it personal?”
Igbodo further accused the Senators of making the issue personal, wondering why the police chief cannot assign another senior officer on official assignments.
The police had earlier absolved the IGP of blames, stressing that he is not an enemy of democracy as declared by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.
Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, had in a statement on Wednesday said the police is rather the first defender of democracy in Nigeria.
He said, “It is important to correct the impression created in the minds of the people from the Senate’s resolution that the IGP is not and will not be an enemy to democracy.”
According to Moshood, the Senate’s declaration of the Police boss as an enemy of democracy is a deliberate blackmail, witch-hunting, and mischief aimed at casting aspersions on the integrity of the IGP.
