IGP vs Misua: The brawl gets messier

The verbal warfare between Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris and his supporters on one hand and Isah Misau, an ex-police officer and senator representing Bauchi Central, on the other entered an intriguing stage last week as the making the brouhaha one of the trendiest online gossips of the week.

The antagonism started sometime in August when the ex-police officer accused the IGP of pocketing at least N10 billion monthly, totalling N120 billion annually, for providing police protection to oil companies and private individuals.

The senator also told his colleagues at the red chamber that the police under the current IG had taken corruption to a new height by engaging in varying degrees of sharp practices and raising illegal funds which, he suggested, should be legalized and converted to the Federal Government’s coffers.

“By virtue of the constitution, police is not a revenue-generating organisation, it is not meant to generate revenue. But all over the federation, we are aware that oil companies, banks, oil servicing companies and private individuals pay money to police every month. We know it. It is an open secret, everybody knows about it,” Misau alleged.

“To even make it worse, sometimes you will see people of dubious character and businessmen suspected to be involved in fraudulent activities in Lagos and Port Harcourt blaring siren with convoys of policemen,” he added.

The senator, who is the current chairman of Senate Committee on Navy, did not stop there but went on to accuse the IGP of being responsible for the increase in crime by the manner in which he is administering the police, saying this had resulted in indiscipline of police officers.

“Most of the things happening today are because of indiscipline and lack of leadership in the police. You will see kidnappings everywhere. He is undermining the biggest institution that is supposed to protect democracy and us.

“More than 100,000 policemen right now are serving in oil companies and oil servicing companies and payments are made. By the United Nations’ standard, one policeman should be for 400 people but in Nigeria, one policeman is to 800 people. Even with that you will find out that one businessman or oil marketer is having about 30 policemen, thereby depleting the ratio we are already in shortage of.

“On the issue of special promotion by the IG and the Police Service Commission (PSC), it is in the open. The rank goes with responsibility and it goes with money because it leads to increase in salary and allowances,” Misau further alleged.

But in a televised programme monitored in Lagos, the police authority through its spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, dismissed Misau’s allegation and accused him of deserting the police and that he had been declared wanted.

On his part, the senator insisted that he retired in 2010 as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and presented his retirement documents to the anchor.

After the TV drama, the battle further deepened as the police declared the senator wanted for forgery, while the police spokesperson presented another version of documents in a press conference and maintained that Misau was a deserter who absconded from duty on September 24, 2010. Moshood asked the Senate Ethics and Privileges Committee to prevail on Misau to make himself available to face the force disciplinary committee for acts of serious misconduct and unprofessional doings.

“Senator Misau, who is in the police, is AP. No 57000, was redeployed to Niger State Police Command on September 24, 2010, and refused to report, consequent upon which he was queried in line with the Public Service Rules, in addition to previous queries and disciplinary processes,” Moshood told journalists.
The matter further degenerated after Misau rejected the invitation by the Police Service Commission to appear before its Special Investigations Panel. He rather accused the PSC of encouraging corruption in the Police Force, arguing that the police cannot be a judge in its own case.
But in a quick twist, the police retracted on its earlier position after the PSC penultimate Wednesday confirmed that the senator’s retirement from the force followed due process and disclosed also that it had issued the letter to the senator to that effect.

The development led to the Senate backing one of their own. On its Twitter handle @Nigerian Senate, the senior lawmakers accused the police spokesperson of lying on national TV and confirmed that it has received letter from the PSC which confirmed Misau’s retirement followed due process.

“The controversy arose after the senator accused the IGP of collecting bribes from some officers before they were promoted. We just confirmed that the retirement followed due process,” wrote the Senate.

But the matter would not die down yet as Misau hit back at the IGP again.

“It has even gone worse. The IG is having relationships with two policewomen, whom he promoted under special promotion. One of them is Aminat and the other is a DSP,” Misau alleged.

“The IG last month got married to that woman but under the police service rules and regulations, you cannot marry a serving officer unless the person retires. He quickly did a secret wedding in Kaduna because the lady was four months pregnant.

“I am saying all these because of the institution, because we have so many excellent officers who are now demoralised; who are now frustrated because of the activities of the IG. When it comes to appointment of police commissioners, the IG decided to have his own boys who are just Assistant Commissioners of Police. He will give them special promotion to Deputy Commissioner of Police. I can verify all my claims against the police boss,” he said.
The Senate has already constituted a seven-man ad-hoc committee to investigate allegations of massive corruption and misappropriation of budgeted funds levelled against the IG. The committee is chaired by Deputy Chief Whip Francis Alimikhena (Edo North).

Senate President Bukola Saraki, who presided over the plenary, said the allegations raised by Misau are “important issues” which cannot be swept under the carpet. He also directed the committee to investigate allegations that Misau deserted the Police Force.

“I think for most of us, the most important issue is how to reform our institutions and how to fight corruption. The basis of all these started on the issue of bribery and promotion exercise involving the IG, and I think they are weighty enough to be investigated,” Saraki said.

Now that the police authority has already suffered a defeat after the PSC confirmed the authenticity of Misua’s retirement, Nigerians may still be in for more spurious drama in the days ahead.

But there are questions lingering on the lips of many Nigerians after the PSC stated that the Bauchi senator was duly retired and thus absolved him of any wrongdoing against the expectation of the IG. Where did the documents the police spokesperson presented to journalists come from? Were the documents forged? Will justice be served at the end of the drama? Will the Senate committee be courageous enough to be truly independent? Will the Presidency weigh in on the matter? Will this turn out to be another power tussle between the executive and the legislature? More drama may still be ahead. Meanwhile, Nigerians are watching and waiting.

 

NATHANIEL AKHIGBE