Crime
IGP blasts Senate, insists Saraki, Melaye, others are subject to same law as every Nigerian
IGP Ibrahim Idris has launched his own attack full blast on the Nigerian Senate claiming superiority and declaring him an enemy of democracy for not honouring their summonses on three occasions.
Senate President Bukola Saraki said Ibrahim is a persona non grata—and unfit to occupy that office.
Senator Isa Misau, who is in court with the IGP, also put up a superiority argument, saying a senator is higher than the IG by the provisions of the Constitution.
But the Nigeria Police Force, in a statement on Wednesday, said the IGP owes no apology to any individual or groups in making sure that all Nigerians are subject to the same law.
Idris had sent his deputy Joshac Habila twice in response to the invitation.
He was,however, turned back twice by the Senate which was demanding to know why their colleague, an alleged gun-runner Sen. Dino Melaye, was forcibly arrested and detained by the police.
And the third time, May 9, the police boss sent a letter earlier, explaining why he would not be appearing before the Senate on the 9th of May.
Force PRO Jimoh Moshood in the statement emphasised legal restraints—as a result of pending cases before the courts filed by Senator Dino Melaye against the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in suit No. CV/1610/18 slated for hearing on the 11th day of May, 2018.
Moshood also stated what obtains in the sections 7(1),312(1), 313(2) of the Police Act and Section 215(1a) of the Constitution : that a deputy IGP or an AIGP can stand in for the police boss in any constitutional matter.
The police authorities then declared the action of the Senate in its resolution against the IGP as “deliberate blackmail, witch-hunting with mischievous motives to hand-twist the IGP to pervert the end of justice in a felonious and serious offenses of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms established against Melaye.
Acording to the statement, Melaye was indicted by two principal suspects (Kabiru Seidu A.K.A OSAMA, Nuhu Salisu A.K.A SMALL) arrested for several cases of kidnappings and armed robberies in Kogi.
And they are already standing trial in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“The Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force will not be deterred by blackmail from any individual or group no matter whose ox is gored,” the statement added.