Society Gists

The senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Isah Misau, has taken a swipe at the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, alleging that Idris collected about N120bn annually as payment for special security services rendered by the police to corporate organisations and very important personalities.

He, however, added that over 50,000 personnel involved in such act had not been benefitting from the money.

Misau, who is a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, had also alleged that the special promotion of officers by the force was fraught with corruption, an allegation the IGP subsequently set a panel to investigate.

But in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday evening, the senator said he would not honour the invitation of the IGP’s probe panel because the police could not be a judge in a case involving them.

He said the Department of State Services or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should be given the task of investigating his claims.

However, speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the lawmaker, who denied the allegation by police authorities that he was on a vendetta against the force due to his dismissal from the service, alleged that posting of senior officers such as commissioners and mobile police commanders attracted between N10m and N15m bribe.

Misau said, “Based on available records, series of petitions and reports from insiders, the incumbent IGP has no capacity to run the police, just like the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mike Okiro (retd.), a former IGP, who also lacks similar capacity going by the N300m scam and others hanging on his neck since 2011 during the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party, where he served as the head of the security committee.

“Specifically, the IGP, on good authority from within the force, collects over N10bn on monthly basis as money for special security provided by men of the force to corporate bodies and highly placed individuals, including criminals, running to N120bn on a yearly basis without any reflection in the police’ annual budget or internally generated revenue.”

“On nepotism, the IGP is scoring high marks by making almost half of the mobile commanders in the country people of his Nupe extraction.”

According to the senator, such postings have not helped the police in their war against crime in the country.

“Police is not a political outfit and should not be allowed to be turned into one by IGP Idris,” he stated.

Misau also dismissed the allegation made by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jimoh Moshhod, that he (Misau) was dismissed for misconduct while displaying his letter of retirement issued by the Police Service Commission.