IGP fails to obey own order as VIPs retain security details

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris is known for disobeying orders – from failing to heed to several summons by the National Assembly, to disobeying his own employer, to even failing to

carry out the very orders he has given himself.

On Monday, March 19, the IGP ordered “immediate” withdrawal of personnel attached to Very Important Personalities (VIPs), and other unauthorised persons.

The IGP’s directive, no doubt, followed concerns about the fragile state of security in the country, and the need for increased policing nationwide.

Idris handed down the directive a few days after Mike Okiro, chairman of Police Service Commission, had lamented that an estimated 150,000 personnel were attached to VIPs and unauthorised persons.

“In view of the current security challenges in the country, it has become expedient for the Nigeria Police Force to streamline the deployment of its personnel attached to political and public office

holders, aimed at enhancing effective and efficient policing of the country,” Idris said.

“To this effect, a memo will be forwarded to the President for approval which will serve as a guideline or template for deployment to VIPs, political and public office holders in the country. Accordingly, a directive for withdrawal of all police officers deployed to VIPs, political and public office holders with immediate effect, is hereby given”, Idris had said.

With manpower strength of 308,000 personnel, it is clear that the Nigeria Police lack the capacity to effectively secure the country’s vast geographical space and the people.

Idris’ withdrawal directive, though critical, many say, yet, it was not the first of its kind. Some of his predecessors had made similar orders during their tenures.

But a few days after March 19, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Jimoh Moshood, released a statement announcing the postponement of the commencement date, a signal that the IG may not be able to pull through the directive.

For over two months since that directive was issued, VIPs have continued to go about with their orderlies, BDSUNDAY investigation has shown, though the police insist that the directive has since taken effect.

Moshood told our correspondent that apart from certain categories of public office holders such as ministers, and principal officers of the National Assembly, all other unauthorised persons have had their personnel withdrawn.

“It (withdrawal directive) has taken effect already. Depending on what you call VIP, there are people who are entitled to it, like ministers and principal officers at the National Assembly. The withdrawal is for people who are not entitled and unauthorised.

“The withdrawal will increase the strength of the force and those who are to be deployed for crime prevention and control and other operational duties.

It has made more manpower available even for those who are to gather intelligence,” he said.

Some security experts, who spoke on the development, expressed divergent views, Bernard Obande, CEO of Amodu Security Services Limited, described the move by the IGP as a mere political statement.

He said the private security companies were yet to feel the impact of the pronouncement as the status quo has remained.

“The status quo remains as it was that is the truth. We have not been getting any increase in the demand for our services since his pronouncement. It is just a mere pronouncement. If you survey

anybody that had police security before, have they been withdrawn? To the best of my knowledge it is just mere political statement,” Obande said.

“To the best of my knowledge I don’t think any police man has been withdrawn from people who hitherto were enjoying the privileges before. As a private security provider it has not brought any increase in the demand for security services provision,” he further said.

However, Ben Okezie, a security expert, said that the IGP ought not to have given that order in the first place, knowing that it would be hard to implement given the high levels of insecurity in the country today.

Giving his perspective, he called it “a selfish move by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).”

“I don’t think he is showing concern and knowledge of what is happening in the country. This is a country that in anyway, we cannot applaud the internal security and because of his inefficiency, the

military is being dragged into internal security which is solely his responsibility and he has not shown any atom of competence, he now wants to withdraw security guards from VIPs and thereby exposing them to danger,” he stressed.

“Now the country is getting unnecessarily polarised politically, things are going haywire and then you want to expose people so that they will be attacked and then tomorrow, people will clap for him that

he has succeeded. Look at Benue State, the president asked him to go there, he could not achieve anything, ordinary operational order, he could not fix and up till today, that crisis is still going on, and

instead of him to resign he is still sitting down there claiming to be IG.

“When an IG starts withdrawing personnel you know that he is doing it for selfish purposes because at the end of the day people will start lining up to salvage. They will start bribing to collect personnel back at the end of the day you will hear that they have already returned the personnel. So why is he doing it at this time that he knows that the country is going through hard time that we are in an

unsecured society? Okezie queried.

“It is very unfortunate the way we are going .Well, I hope people that put him there understand what is happening because this thing might boomerang. The truth is that no one person owns this country,” he said.

Also speaking on the matter, Lawrence Alobi, a former commissioner of Police in the FCT, said deployment of personnel was based on need.

”The deployment of police manpower always depends on need. If the IG thinks that the individual needs police protection, of course, he will,

because his duty is to protect lives and property.

”In the Nigerian society, every citizen has the right. Section 14 in the constitution states that security and well-being of the citizen is the responsibility of the government and the IG is the number one person in charge of internal security of the citizen. He has the constitutional duty to make sure that Nigerians are protected not only political appointees, but any individual who has any reason to think that his life is

under threat can call for the services of the police and if they see that he needs security, of course, they will provide,” he said.

Prior to the police chief’s directive, there had been mixed feelings over the manner police personnel were being deployed for private purposes, with many saying corruption may be embedded.

Isah Misau, chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, had alleged that the IGP made an estimated N10 billion monthly from multinational companies and other concerns.

He had further alleged that millions were paid by officers and other ranks, to influence postings to juicy establishments.

“There is also the allegation that more than 50,000 policemen are attached to oil companies, banks and private individuals with payments made to the police authorities.

“These people pay as much as N10billion monthly. They are however, unaccounted for. Policemen are being attached to criminals who now go around blaring siren while doing all sorts of dubious activities,” he said.

Stella Enenche, Abuja