The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday denied allegation by Senator Isa Misau that it gave two Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs, to Aisha, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari for personal use.
Misau made the claim on Wednesday when he appeared before the ad-hoc committee of the Senate probing the allegation of corruption he made against the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the Police Service Commission.
But in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, on Thursday, the police said the two vehicles referred to by Misau were for the security personnel of Mrs. Buhari.
Moshood said contrary to the claim by Misau, the wife of the president never made such a request.
He described the claim as a deliberate bid to misinform the public and involve the wife of the president in the ongoing controversy.
“It is pertinent to state that at no time did the wife of the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs. Aishat Buhari requested directly or indirectly for vehicles for her use from the Inspector-General of Police and no vehicle whether jeep or SUV has ever been given for her personal use.
“To set the record straight and disabuse the minds of the public most especially those who must have read the story, that the Inspector-General of Police is empowered by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and the Police Act and Regulations, precisely Section 215 (1) and (2) ‘the Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector-General of Police and the deployment and control of the entire operations of the force including allocation of police vehicles for operational use throughout the country shall be under the purview of the IGP’,” he said.
READ ALSO: Anti-graft committee: Justice Salami turns down appointment
The statement reads further: “It is within the powers of the Inspector-General of Police as stated above that when on the 17th January, 2017, SP Sani M Baba –Inna, the ADC, wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria requested for two vehicles for police personnel in the convoy of wife of the president for convoy movement and security purposes.
“Two police vehicles – a Toyota Sienna bus with Reg. No. NPF 2406D , a Toyota Hiace bus with Reg. No. NPF 3363D, were approved by the Inspector-General of Police to the ADC wife of the president SP Sani M Baba –Inna for the purposes requested and not to the person of the wife of the president or for her personal use as alleged by Misau.
“The Nigeria Police Force categorically wishes to state that all the allegations made by Misau against the Inspector-General of Police and the wife of the president, Federal Republic of Nigeria of buying two jeeps for the wife of the presidents as reported in some media are baseless, untrue and done in bad faith to misinform and mislead the public. Members of the public are hereby strongly enjoined to discountenance and disregard the report in its entirety.”
The issue of the retirement age of the IGP complained about by Misau was also addressed.
“On IGP’s retirement age, Misau’s allegations were ill-motive. For avoidance of doubt, the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Force Secretary Office wrote the Chairman, Police Service Commission on the 18th of January, 2017 drawing the attention of the Commission to the observation on the current Staff List of senior police officers whereby the date of birth of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni was incorrectly stated as 3/01/1959 instead of the actual date 15/01/1959.
”All documents and records of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni has 15/01/1959 as his date of birth except the staff list senior police officers and this is the reason why the approval of the honourable chairman, Police Service Commission for correction of the error was sought in this regard.
“The difference of dates between 3/01/1959 and 15/01/1959 is just 12 days which is very insignificant in 35 years that a public servant can be in service. Attached is letter Ref No. CH.7080/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.3/30 dated 18th January, 2017 written by the force secretary to the honourable chairman, Police Service Commission on the subject matter for media ease of reference.”
