Senator Misau accuses IG of Police, Ibrahim Idris, of buying 2 SUVs for President Buhari’s wife, Aisha

The ongoing war of words between the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, and Sen. Isah Hamman Misau, took a different turn yesterday October 25th when the Senator alleged that the IG bought two Prado SUV's for Mrs Aisha Buhari's personal use.

According to Vanguard, Misau made the allegation when he appeared before the eight-member Adhoc Committee mandated to probe the IGP. The senate constituted the

committee when Senator Misau brought his faceoff with the IG of Police to the floor of the Senate on October 4th. Read here.

During his presentation at the investigation panel, the committee led by Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Francis Alimikhena (APC, Edo North), Misau alleged that the First Lady had requested, through her Aide de Camp, ADC, for a Sienna and Hiace, but he (IGP) bought two Prado SUVs, which were not in the budget, for the First Lady.

 “The Inspector- General of Police gave the First Lady, wife of the President, two SUVs and this came through a letter from the ADC to the First Lady who requested on her behalf that she needed a Sienna and Hiace for personal use, but she was given the two SUVs for her private use.”

Misau also told the committee that the IGP manipulated his retirement date, alleging that the expected date of retirement of the IGP was fraudulently doctored on the staff list of senior police officers from January 3rd to 15th of 2019. He went on to accuse the IGP of employing four civilians in his office and receiving the salary of the rank of Assistant Inspector- General of Police, AIG. According to the senator, the Police boss had also engaged the services of a retired police officer to handle investigations. According to him, this is against the code and Act establishing the Police Force. All investigative cases were supposed to be under the Deputy Inspector-General of Police , DIG, in Area 10, Garki, Abuja, and not a retired officer. Special promotion.

“Sometime in July 2017, I was in the office of Senator Baba Kaka, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business when a Daily Trust reporter sought my views on the information that policemen pay as much as N500,000 for special promotion. To verify this information, I called some serving police officers who confirmed to the three of us that the information was not only true, but also that the amounts paid are up to N2,500,000, in addition to other information. I, hereby, forward for your consideration, the detailed terms of allegation against the Inspector General of Police, 1GP, and Police Service Commission, PSC, deployment of policemen to private organisations. Between 50,000 and 100,000 policemen are routinely deployed by the police to oil companies, oil servicing companies, banks, oil marketers, and private individuals etc, with regular payments made to the police. While these monies are estimated to run into billions monthly, they are, however, unaccounted for.  Today, the situation is so bad that businessmen with dubious characters and suspicious businesses now go about with full detachment of policemen and some with full convoy and blasting siren, especially in Lagos, Port Harcourt and other major cities in the country. ‘’This worsens the country’s policing ratio of one policeman to about 800 citizens, against the UN recommended ratio of one policeman to 400 citizens.  The Police Service Commission, PSC, whose main function is to recruit, train, discipline, promote and retire members of the Force, appears to have left its core mandate to indulge almost exclusively in promotion racketeering. There are a lot of favouritisms in the promotion/appointment of commissioners of police. Junior deputy commissioners of police are given the commissioner of police in acting capacity, against seniority and merit, thereby blocking eligible candidates. A recent example is the current Lagos State Commissioner of Police, who is a junior DCP to two other DCPs, now given acting CP and posted to Lagos. These acts of favoritism have eroded discipline in the Force, which is the backbone of any successful organisation.”

The face-off between Misau and police boss, Idris, started in August this year when the lawmaker, in an interview granted to a national newspaper, claimed that police officers pay bribes to get favorable postings and promotions. The IGP, through the Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, disputed his claims, saying that they were unfounded. He had further claimed that Misau deserted the Force and that he would soon be declared wanted to respond to a disciplinary committee set up to probe him.