I Don’t Owe Senate Any Apology

Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, says the force he leads does not owe any individual or group any apology in discharging its duties.

He said this while responding to the comments made by senators over his refusal to honour the invitation of the senate.

Idris has refused to appear before the senate on three different occasions.

He had been summoned over the growing insecurity in the country and the case of Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west.

Melaye is currently in custody of the police.

The first time the IGP was invited to appear before the senators, he accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to Bauchi state but sent representatives who were rejected by the lawmakers.

The second time, the IGP said he went to Birin Gwari, Kaduna state, on a working visit.

When he failed to show up on Wednesday, the senate went into a closed door session after which Senate President Bukola Saraki said Idris had been declared an enemy of democracy.

But responding on Wednesday night, the IGP accused the lawmakers of attempting to witch-hunt him, vowing not to be intimidated.

He asked the public to disregard the statement of the senate and promised to continue to discharge his duties to the best of his ability.

Idris accused the legislators of trying to blackmail him because of the case of Melaye.

Idris spoke in a statement issued on his behalf by Jimoh Moshood, spokesman of the police.

Below is the statement:

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 k. 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 26thof 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