We’ll drag Senate to court over verdict on IGP‎ ―Police

THE Police High Command on Thursday vowed to challenge in Court the verdict of the Senate on the Inspector General of Police (IP), Mr Ibrahim Idris, that he was unfit to any public and that he was an enemy of democracy. The Commissioner of Police (Legal), Force Headquarters, Mr David Igbodo, who disclosed this yesterday while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily described the verdict of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly as unacceptable which would not stand the test of the time. According to him, “that declaration, we are going to challenge it (in court, We want the court to interpret whether each time the IGP is invited to appear before the National Assembly (NASS), whether he must, as a matter of fact, appear in person or not ” He disclosed that the National Assembly has not been on the same page since the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye over offences bordering on alleged murder and unlawful possession of firearms among several others now before Court of competent jurisdiction. The Senate had first summoned the Police boss on April 25, but he failed to appear, rather sent a DIG to represent him saying that he was on an official assignment to Bauchi State with President Muhammadu Buhari. He was again summoned for the second time to appear on May 2, but he again failed to honour it, delegating Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Joshak Habila, whom the Senate refused to entertain. Speaking of the inability of the IGP to personally honour the invitations, the CP legal explained that the IGP acted in accordance with the law by delegating the DIG to represent him in an official capacity. According to him, “official functions of the IGP can be performed by the DIG or the Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs). So why are they insisting that it must be the IGP to appear in person? “What is personal about it? The facts are known to the DIG (Operations). The facts are known to all the DIGs. They are expected to brief the NASS, why are they making it personal?” He accused the Senators of making the issue personal, wondering why the police chief cannot assign another senior officer on official assignments. The police had earlier absolved the IGP of blames, dismissing the position of the lawmakers that the boss was an enemy of democracy. Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, had in a statement on Wednesday said the police was rather the first defender of democracy in Nigeria. According to the FPRO, “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.” He pointed that the Senate’s declaration of the Police boss as an enemy of democracy was a deliberate blackmail, witch-hunting, and mischief aimed at casting aspersions on the ‎personality of the IIP.]]>