I'm not and will not be an enemy to democracy - IGP Idris replies Senate

Ibrahim Idris has condemned the Senate's
description of him as an enemy of democracy
- The police IG said he would not allow the blackmail
to go on
- He called on the Senate to stop harbouring criminal
elements
The inspector-general of police, Ibrahim Idris,
has responded to the Senate for describing him
as an enemy of democracy after he failed to
appear before it.
Idris in a statement via police spokesperson,
Jimoh Moshood, on Wednesday, May 9, accused
the Senate of trying to blackmail him.
He said he was on an official assignment when
he was invited by the Senate and duly asked
senior ranking officers to represent him as
constitutionally stipulated.
The police chief said he would not allow himself
to be witchhunted by the Senate especially
because of the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye.

Read the statement below:
The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has
been drawn to the media reportage of the
Senate’s resolution on Senate Order Paper of
today, Wednesday, 9th May, 2018 after a closed
door session that the “Senate declares the
Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris,
NPM, mni, as enemy of democracy and unfit to
hold any public office within and outside the
country”.
It is urgently imperative that the Nigeria Police
Force respond to this resolution of the Senate
which is a deliberate blackmail, witch-hunting,
unfortunate and mischievous.
In accordance with the extant laws in Nigeria,
the functions, duties and responsibilities of the
Inspector General of Police as stated in Section
215(1a) of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, and the
Police Act and Regulations Section 309(1) can
also be carried out as mentioned in sections
7(1),312(1), 313(2) of the Police Act and
Regulations by a senior officer of the Force of the
Rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police or an
Assistant Inspector General of Police who if
permitted by the Inspector General of Police to
act on his behalf or represent him in an official
capacity at any official function, event or
programme within and outside Nigeria can do so
in consonant with the provisions of the Police
Act and Regulations.
It is on the basis of the above that when on the
25th of April, 2018, the Senate invited the
Inspector-General of Police to appear before it on
the 26th of April 2018, in respect of the felonious
offenses for which Sen. Dino Melaye was taken
into Police custody, investigated and arraigned in
a Court of Competent Jurisdiction in Lokoja, but
because the Inspector-General of Police was on
official assignment with the President of Federal
Republic of Nigeria to Bauchi on same date, he
delegated the Deputy Inspector-General of Police,
Department of Operations, Assistant Inspector-
Generals of Police and some Commissioners of
Police conversant with the matter to brief the
Senate.
The delegated Officers went with a brief of the
Inspector-General of Police on the matter to the
Senate to enable the Senate appreciate the issues
raised to guide their resolutions on the matter
but the Senate refused to listen to the Officers
delegated by the Inspector-General of Police in
line with his powers recognized by both the
Constitution and the Police Act and Regulations.
The Senate again on the 26th of April 2018 wrote
the Inspector-General of Police re-inviting him to
appear before the Senate in person on the 2nd of
May, 2018 but this time around the IGP was on
official assignment to Birnin-Gwari Area of
Kaduna State in company of the General Officer
Commanding, One Division, Nigerian Army
Kaduna, Major General Mohammed Mohammed
to attend to some very serious security matters
of National Importance, but he promptly
delegated the Deputy Inspector-General of Police,
Research and Planning, Assistant Inspectors
General of Police and Commissioners of Police to
represent him and brief the Senate on the same
subject matter but the Senate again refused to
accord them audience insisting that the
Inspector-General of Police must appear in
person.
On the 8th of May, 2018, the Inspector General of
Police sent a letter to the President of the Senate,
Federal Republic of Nigeria signed by the
Commissioner of Police, Legal and Prosecution
Department, explaining why he would not be
appearing before the Senate on the 9th of May,
2018 due to legal restraint as a result of pending
cases before the courts filed: (i) 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. by the
Inspector General of Police against the Senate in
the Federal High Court, Abuja in suit No. FHC/
ABJ/CS/457/2018 adjourned to 31st May, 2018 for
hearing.

It is on record that consequent on the confession
of criminal offences indicting Senator Dino
Melaye by the principal suspect KABIRU SAIDU
a.k.a OSAMA “31 YRS”, The Nigeria Police Force,
sent a letter of investigation activities/invitation
dated 2nd March, 2018 addressed to the Senate
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria informing
and requesting him to release Senator Dino
Melaye to report to Commissioner of Police, Kogi
State Command on the 7th of March, 2018 to
answer to criminal offences of Conspiracy and
Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms
levelled against him, this is to enable the Police
Investigation Team carryout a discreet and
thorough investigation into the case. But Senator
Dino Melaye refused to honour the Police
invitation.
It is pertinent that the Nigeria Police Force
informs the members of the General Public that
the reasons for which the Senate has summoned
the Inspector General of Police is official and not
personal, and the 1999 constitution of Federal
Republic of Nigeria as amended and the Police
Act and Regulations allowed the IGP to delegate
Deputy Inspector General of Police or Assistant
Inspector General of Police to represent him.
Consequently, the action of the Senate in its
resolution against the IGP today is a deliberate
blackmail, witch-hunting with mischievous
motives to hand-twist the IGP to pervert the end
of justice in afelonious and serious offenses of
Criminal Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of
Prohibited Firearms for which Senator Dino
Melaye who was indicted by two (2) Principal
Suspects (Kabiru Seidu A.K.A OSAMA, Nuhu
Salisu A.K.A SMALL) arrested forseveral cases of
kidnappings and armed robberies in Kogi State
are already standing trial in a court of competent
jurisdiction.
It is important to correct the impression created
in the minds of the people from the Senate’s
resolution that the IGP is not and will not be an
enemy to democracy. It is also of significant note
to state thatIGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, has
served meritoriously for above Ten (10) years in
the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations in
several countries unblemished. The Nigeria
Police Force is the first defender of Democracy
and all democratic institutions in Nigeria and
will continue to do so.
It is factual and verifiable that Senator Dino
Melaye was discharged and certified fit to stand
trial by the National Hospital, Abuja before he
was arraigned in Chief Magistrate Courts in
Wuse, Abuja and Lokoja.
The Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria
Police Force will not be deterred by blackmail
from any individual or group no matter how
highly placed from the enforcement of Law and
Order and ensuring that the Rule of Law
prevails.
No matter whose Ox is gored.
The Nigeria Police Force, therefore, owes no
apology to any individual or groups in its effort
to ensure preservation of law and order,
supremacy of the law of the land, and make sure
that all Nigerians are subject to the same law, no
matter what their position is in the society.
The General Public are hereby implored to
disregard and discountenance the resolution of
the Senate on the IGP as a deliberate blackmail,
witch-hunting and mischievously aimed at
casting aspersions on the hard earned integrity
of the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria
Police Force.

The Nigeria Police Force as a law abiding
organization will continue to hold the Senate of
Federal Republic of Nigeria in high esteem but
wishes to impress on the Senate not to harbour
criminal elements among its fold or condone
criminality. The Force will not be intimidated by
any individual, groups or institution, constituent
or otherwise to abdicate from its constitutional
responsibilities of protection of lives and
property and due enforcement of the rule of law,
and law and order across the Country.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Presidential
Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC),
Professor Itse Sagay, lashed out at the Senate for
describing Ibrahim Idris as the enemy of
democracy.
Sagay noted that the police chief sent a deputy
inspector-general to meet with the Senate when
he was invited.
He said the action of senators visiting their
colleagues who were under trial was the real
abandonment of democracy.

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