The Police Services Commission wades into the fight between Ibrahim Idris, inspector general of police and Senator Hamman Misau who accused each other of corruption 

By Anayo Ezugwu    /Sept. 1, 2017 @ 12:52 GMT /

THESE ARE not the best of times for the Nigeria Police Force. Allegations of corruption have dogged the police recently. There is the case of a policeman allowing a key suspect in the murder of a little girl for ritual purposes to escape while in custody. The policeman in charge has since been arrested. But the police is still reeling from the latest corruption allegations against Ibrahim Idris, inspector general of the police by Senator Isah Hamman Misau, senate committee chairman on Navy. Misau alleged that the IGP was collecting money for promotion and choice postings from commissioners of police. He also alleged that Idris collected N120 annually from oil companies and private citizens needing security services. The IGP is battling to clear his name because of these serious allegations. In doing so, the Nigeria Police Force alleged that Misau absconded from the service.  The senator has since denied the allegation.

But the Police Service Commission, PSC, summoned Senator Misau to appear before its special panel investigating the allegations on September 6. The commission, in its letter signed by Justice Olufunlola Adekeye, chairman of the special panel, stated that the immediate issue for investigation is the genuineness or otherwise of the two letters of retirement supposed to have emanated from the Police Service Commission in connection with Misau’s retirement.

The commission said it received correspondence from the NPF Special Investigation Panel, Force Headquarters, dated August 28, 2017, relating to the senator’s retirement from the force. It explained that it was the only organ saddled with the statutory responsibility of issuing retirement letters to all police officers except the Inspector General of Police.

Prior to PSC summons, the Nigeria Police had on August 27, declared Senator Misau a deserter who left the service in controversial circumstances. A statement by the police alleged that the former police officer failed to report for duty since September 24, 2010, after he was redeployed to Niger State Command.

The lawmaker was also said to have tendered a forged resignation letter to the public, and paraded himself as a deputy commissioner of police, instead of a deputy superintendent of police. This was in addition to engaging in partisan politics and contesting elections while he was still deemed to be a serving police officer.

It is obvious that the police is trying to absolve itself from the corruption allegations, but to Nigerians, it looks like a means to cover up the allegation of institutionalised corruption made by the lawmaker. Even if the  allegations against the senator are true, the declaration of his desertion has raised eyebrows about the effectiveness of the PSC and the overall integrity of the Nigeria Police as a credible institution of state charged with maintaining law and order in the country.

In this regard, Nigerians are asking:  When did the police authorities discover that Misau deserted the force and what disciplinary or other steps were taken thereafter, as required by law? Was he queried, declared wanted or missing, when he failed to report at his presumed new duty post? Why did it take two years after his election in 2015 for the police to be making self-indicting claims?

The answers to these question is what the PSC panel is expected to reveal. Suffice it to state that it is a grievous allegation for police to declare a lawmaker, who was duly registered as a member of a political party in his home state, collected nomination form, participated in his party primaries and emerged a candidate of his party to be declared a deserter. This is because he could not have gone through the clearing process of his party without the police commissioner, Criminal Investigation Department and other security services providing indicting report about him at the time before he could be cleared to contest in an election.

This is bearing in mind that Misau campaigned openly both in the print, electronic and social media before the election. He was also provided with the requisite police and other security services lawfully expected in the circumstances of party politics and elections. Again, since he won the election the police authorities did not raise any issues about his years of service until he made damaging allegations against the Force.

In its defence, Jimoh Moshood, Force public relations officer, described Misau claims as fabricated lies and unsubstantiated allegations of the shallow imaginations of a personality claiming to be a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who deserted the Nigeria Police Force on 24th September, 2010.

“The retirement letter presented to journalists by DSP Mohammed Isa Hamman is suspiciously forged and dubiously obtained. The letter which was dated 5th March, 2014, a period of more than four years after AP No 57300 DSP Mohammed Isa Hamman (Senator Isah Hamman Misau) deserted the Force is now being investigated by the Force. It is on record for the public and the media to verify that, as AP No 57300 DSP Mohammed Isa Hamman was being wanted as a deserter,” he said.

From the look of things, it appears that Senator Misau has threaded where angels feared to go with his allegation of corruptions against police. In his claims, Senator Misau had asked the IGP to account for the N10 billion monthly internally generated revenue, IGR, which amounts to N120 billion annually. “Let me give you an example of the so many corruption cases that are taking place. More than 10,000 policemen are working with oil companies and every month, the companies are paying money.  Where is the money going?

“Is the money going into Federal Government coffers or into some people’s pockets. We have over 10,000 officers working in banks. Are they paying money to the Federal Government?  Who are they paying the money to?  Where is the money?  We have policemen in thousands working for companies and private individuals.

“Go to the airports and you will see that people of questionable character have policemen attached to them. Are they paying money to the Federal Government? Why should the federal government train a policeman, give him uniform and gun and then he is passed on to an individual who will not pay anything to the federal government?

“Is that right under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration? Last week, an organisation accused the Nigeria Police and others of bribery amounting to N400 billion. Am I the person who said it?” Misau said.

Nigerians are concerned by the allegations and counter allegations between the Senator and police. That is why Seriake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa is calling for a quick resolution of the matter to avoid having a lasting damaging effect on the police and the Senate, two strong institution of democracy in Nigeria.

Whatever, Nigerians are watching keenly to see the outcome of the Police Service Commission’s panel of inquiry into the weighty allegations.

– Sept. 1, 2017 @ 12:45 GMT /