The House of Representatives has called for the immediate sack of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris even as the Benue state caucus in the House has also demanded for the immediate resignation the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Moshood Jimoh.
The resolution was taken following the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Hon. Nuhu Damburam (APC, Kano) on the need to curb thuggery development in political activities in Kano and the nation at large.
The House said it has lost confidence in the IGP Ibrahim to lead the Police in curbing the rising tide of crime and violence across the country.
Leading debate on the motion, Danburam said the “recent thuggery experience in Kano was championed by a current high ranking member of this hallowed chamber. I have photographs as being circulated in the social media as evidenced to back my position”.
He lamented that “unfortunately, the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies, which sometimes are present at the scene of thuggery have deliberately refused to take appropriate actions against the perpetrators of this illegal act. The ugly development has denigrated the Nigerian political system home and abroad”
Danburam prayed his colleagues to use available legislative instruments to discourage and curb the barbaric act of terror on visionary politicians.
While debating the motion, the chief whip, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) vehemently opposed the motion but the majority of the lawmakers supported the motion.
Following an amendment moved by Hon. John Dyegh (APC, Gboko) and a voice vote by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, the motion was overwhelmingly endorsed calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the IGP immediately for incompetence and appoint a replacement.
They also demanded for a letter of apology from the IGP over derogatory statements made by the PPRO describing Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue as “a drowning man” as well as statements credited to two police officers in the aftermath of the gruesome murder of 73 persons in January by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The group at a press conference addressed by its spokesperson, Hon. John Dyegh representing Gboko/Tarka federal constituency in Abuja, said the IGP’s statement before a Senate Committee that the Benue killings was as a result of the anti-grazing law put in place by the state government is enough to conclude that the man was partisan in the crisis and should therefore resign.
According to Dyegh, the PPRO’s comments on a Channels TV talk show last Tuesday where he lampooned the governor showed that he was playing the script of his master and needs to send a letter of apology to the governor and resign.
“We demand for the immediate resignation of the PPRO, Jimoh Moshood for professional misconduct and partisanship, but he should be fired if he fails to resign. Additionally, the PPRO should withdraw his description of Governor Orton as a ‘drowning man’, and the IGP should tender an unreserved apology to Governor Samuel Ortom and the people of Benue state. Moshood’s tirade against the Governor is hate speech and therefore a criminal act” the group stated.
Hon. Dyeh carpeted the minister of defence, Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd) whom he accused of taking sides with the killer herdsmen by declaring that the killing was caused by the implementation of the anti-grazing law.
According to the lawmakers, there is a “grand conspiracy orchestrated by some top and unscrupulous security officials of the Federal Government to manipulate the nation’s security apparatus for the purposes of emasculating the people and government of Benue State in order to sustain the killing by herdsmen”.
While stating that “no amount of amount of intimidation or genocide aimed at plunging the state into a state of chaos as to declare a state of emergency would deter them from supporting the anti-open grazing law”, the group also called on the security agents to arrest and prosecute the leaders of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore for their indictment in the killing in the state.
Moreover, they insisted that the Police do restrict itself to its constitutional role of maintaining law and order and appeal to them to leave politics for politicians as well as appealing to the peace-loving people of Benue to cooperate with these security agents.
Most importantly, they called on the IGP and the Police Commissioner in the state to ask ACP Kayode Ayinlara and his men to stop further harassment of the Chairman and staff of the Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS).
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