The
last may not have been heard in the allegations of corruption and
counter-allegations by Senator Isah Misau (Bauchi Central) and the
Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, on alleged abuse of
office. The Federal Government had, last Thursday, arraigned Misau
before an Abuja High Court on a fivecount charge bothering on alleged
injurious falsehood against the IGP, Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the
Police Service Commission (PSC).
The
senator, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was consequently
admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million, with two sureties in like
sum. However, part of the documents in his (Misau) defence before the
court was a Police document which showed that the IG approved two Jeeps
for the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, and a bus for the National
Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.
But
a top police source, who prefers anonymity because the case is pending
in court, said that there is nothing illegal in the donation as there is
no law which bars government agencies from assisting each other. He,
however, denied that vehicles were donated to the President’s wife.
He
rather stated that the vehicles were given to the police officers
attached to the President’s wife. According to the documents before the
court cited by New Telegraph, the vehicles were approved for the
President’s wife early this year, in response to a request signed by one
SP Sani M. Baba-Inna, ADC to the wife of the President. In the letter,
dated January 17, 2017 and addressed to the IGP, the ADC requested for
Toyota Sienna Space bus and Toyota Hiace Bus to compliment the vehicles
attached to Her Excellency, the wife of the President.
The
ADC further stated in the request letter that the said vehicles, if
approved, will be used to support Her Excellency’s private movement and
utilities. In a response to the request, the Office of the IGP on
January 18, 2017 directed the Force Transport Officer to provide two
Jeeps for the wife of the President.
In
the same vein, the office of the IGP, on August 8, 2016 approved the
release of a bus for NIPPS, Kuru. The approval was sequel to a letter of
request dated August 8, 2016, signed by the Institute’s Acting Director
General, Jonathan M. Jumai. In the said request letter, dated 8th
August 2016 titled “RE: REQUEST FOR INTERVENTION IN THE ACQUISITION OF
PROGRAMME/ VEHICLES AND CONSTRUCTION OF DIRECTING STAFF QUARTERS”, the
Acting Director General of NIPSS, Kuru, one Jonathan M. Juma, requests
the IGP’s assistance in the construction of one “Directing Staff
quarters (4-bedroom bungalow)”
The
letter reveals that the NIPSS had requested “programme vehicles for the
use of its Senior Executive Course Participants” and their “Directing
Staff”, ostensibly for use during their local and “strategic studies
tours”; Juma then indicates that the Institute will be “highly
appreciative” of the IGP’s assistance in that regard. In the document
sighted by our reporter, the IGP then inscribed “Approved” on the
correspondence, and to minute it to the Force Transport Officer (FTO).
The
IGP inscribed a handwritten note in the margin of the letter directing
the “O/C ALL” to “issue one (1) bus with inscription Donated by: The
Nigeria Police Force.” It is the contention of the defence team that
such approval by the Office of the IGP may have contravened the police
budget for 2016 and 2017 since there was no provision for same in the
approved budget.
However,
in his further reaction to the document, the police source said: “There
are police officers in the Villa, that is, Mopol 24, they are in the
Presidential Escort. They use police vehicles and, as such, they have
right to request for vehicles from police, if they have additional needs
for vehicles because all those attached to the Vice President and the
President’s wife are police officers.
The
wife of the President did not request for any car from the IGP, rather
it is the police attached to her that requested for additional vehicles
to complement the ones they have. “For me, I don’t think, there is
anything in that, that is abnormal. For NIPSS, there is an interagency
co-operation.
For
instance, there are military, police officers and others serving in
NIPSS. So, if NIPSS is requesting something from the police, if the
police have it, they can give it to them. It is just like War College.
You know that every year, the IG goes to lecture them, same way, the
Chief of Army Staff does.
During
the lectures, each of the organisations promises what to do for them.
Even as at the now, the police have promised to help with their library.
“IGP did not give out the vehicle in his personal capacity, lest it
will be said that he used police money to give out gift to NIPPS and
wife of the President. But, since it is official, there is nothing wrong
in it.
There
is nothing wrong for an organisation to partner with another towards
achieving a goal. “For example, in the police, if we are having joint
operation, we can call on the FCT to assist us with vehicle.
Like
the Ministry of Works, they can donate vehicle for police, during
Highway Patrol, even they buy cars for Road Safety. So, there is nothing
wrong for one agency to assist another agency. “NIPSS is a government
agency and they can request for the assistance of another government
agency.
“It is not compulsory that the gifts you give out be included in the budget,” he stated.
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