IGP Ibrahim Ikpotun Idris tenure expires January 3, his sins itemised

Emmanuel Thomas l Wednesday, Jan. 02, 2019

LAGOS, Nigeria – Inspector General of Police(IGP) Ibrahim Ikpotun Idris, will by God’s grace retire from service, January 03, 2019 having attained the mandatory age of 60.

Idris has been described by President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki as the most partisan IGP in the history of Nigeria. Ibrahim Idris is 59 years old but he will turn 60 January 3rd, but he could be retained for political reasons having done well in massaging the ego of his paymaster, President Muhammadu Buhari.

He enlisted into the Nigerian Police Force in 1984 after graduating from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with BSc in Agriculture.

Police achievements under IGP Ibrahim Ikpotun Idris

Under him, the police has nosedived as the worst in the world according to World Internal Security and Police Index (WISPI) for 2016.

The Special Anti-robbery Squad(SARS) blossomed into  the worst nightmare for Nigerians. The killing by SARS culminated into a the popular struggle #ENDSARS, and consequent reform but the killings is yet to abate. Not too resent, FSARS in mufti killed a traffic official, attached to the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency(LASTMA) for daring to stop his vehicle on red.

The Nigeria Police under him became a law unto themselves disobeying command by the President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces,  President Muhammadu Buhari, and the refusal to honour invitation by the National Assembly, forcing the senate to pass a vote of no confidence on him and to brand him as Enemy of Democracy and unfit to hold any public office.

It is the first time that a police officer described a sitting governor in the wake of the Benue massacre  as a drowning man.

In the wake of Benue massacre, by Fulani Herdsmen, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered IGP Idris to relocate to Benue and bring about law and order.

He not only disobeyed Buhari’s order but Jimoh Moshood, the police spokesperson, described the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom as a drowning man.

It is under Idris that a combination of the policemen and officials of the Department of State Services invaded the National Assembly and supervised the stealing of the mace, the symbol of authority, an incident deemed to be treasonable felony and till date nobody has been charged.

IGP Idris supervised the invasion of the Apo Villa of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

IGP also supervised what has been widely acknowledged as public intimidation of voters in Osun re-run to pave way for the emergence of the preferred candidate of his paymasters.

Idris has a reputation  for acting swiftly when it comes to arrest of opposition but either feigns ignorance or slow to act when it comes to crimes committed by members of the ruling APC.

IGP supervised what has been called a travesty of the judicial process for political reasons, supervising the invasion of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to circumvent the law when there is a subsisting court order for the Speaker of the house to declare seats of defecting lawmakers vacant.  His swiftness in replacing CP John Abang with CP, Hyelasinda Musa Kimo, when it became clear that Abang was not willing to dance to the tune of his paymasters.

His redeployment of 5 CPS to Bayelsa in 14 days against the norm.

In July 2018, the Ijaw Youth Council(IYC) said at the last count, the Force Headquarters has transferred five police commissioners to Bayelsa State, including the former commissioner, who was moved to the Force Headquarters.

“These are CP Don Awunah, Joseph Mukan, Ahmed Bello, Ahmad Abdulrahman and Austin Iwar.While it is the duty of the Force Headquarters to determine the posting of police officers to formations within and outside the country, we find it troubling that, four commissioners of police have been posted to Bayelsa State in the past two weeks.

“We in the IYC, the umbrella body of all Ijaw youths across Nigeria are inclined to believe that, this frequent deployment of police commissioners to Bayelsa might be traceable to political desperation and tendency to cause instability in the state. We wish to make it clear that, instability in Bayelsa, the only homogenous Ijaw State in Nigeria, could cause instability across the Niger Delta”, the IYC said.

The activities of the IGP also became suspect in their dealings with the Senator representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye, portraying him as the  most dangerous criminal in Nigeria.

“This method of digging out some old charges and allegations to arrest and incarcerate political opponents has presented this current Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, as the most partisan head of the Nigerian Police ever in the history of this country”, Saraki said.

This is taking place even as Borno State, Governor and his counterpart in Katsina seems to have given up on insecurity in their states.

“The Governor of Borno state and the Governor of Buhari’s own Katsina state have said that the security situation in their states is terrible.The Governor of Zamfara state has called for a state of emergency to be declared in his state due to insecurity”, former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has said.

Kidnapping has become the order of the day in the north and very recently in the South West.

Meanwhile, the Youth for Atiku have challenged Buhari to prove that he is committed to free, fair and credible election by not renewing the tenure of Ibrahim Idris.

“Youths For Atiku
@YouthsForAtiku@MBuhari  prove to Nigerians that you are committed to a free and fair election by not extending the tenure of the IGP who is a threat to our national security, our unity and our electoral process, allow him go”, the group said.