– Nigeria Police Force says: 'Aisha Buhari never requested for any vehicle from IGP'

The Nigerian Police Force has denied allegations made by Senator Hammed Misau that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, bought two SUVs for the wife of President Buhari, Aisha Buhari's personal use. Misau made the allegations when he appeared before the Senate committee investigating him and the IG.

He alleged that Mrs. Buhari through her ADC asked the IGP for a Sienna and Hiace for personal use, but she was given the two SUVs for her private use.” In a statement released this afternoon, the police said the allegation by the senator were baseless and absolutely untrue and outright falsehood.

The statement reads

'The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to publications in the Daily Trust Newspaper of 26th October, 2017, page 3 captioned “Misau Accuses IGP Of Buying 2 Jeeps For Buhari’s Wife” and “IGP Idris Manipulated His Retirement Age, Says Misau” on Page 3 of The Nation of October 26th 2017” credited to Senator Isa Hamma Misau and written by Ismail Mudashir and Onyedi Ojiabor of Daily Trust and Nation Newspapers respectively.

2. The two reports were studied and found out to be an outright falsehood, misleading, unfounded, a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and drag the name of the Wife of the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Aishat Buhari and that of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni into a controversy.

3.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.

4.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)(a&b) and (2) “The Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector General 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.

5.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” Federal Republic of Nigeria requested for Two (2) vehicles for Police Personnel in the convoy of Wife of the President for convoy movement and security purposes. Two (2) Police Vehicles (i) A Toyota Sienna Bus with Reg. No. NPF 2406D (ii) 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.

6.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 (2) 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.

7.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.

8.The difference of dates between 3/01/1959 and 15/01/1959 is just Twelve (12) days which is very insignificant in Thirty Five (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.

9.Furthermore, the Public will note that Issa Hamma Misau deliberately refused to prove the allegations he previously levelled against the Inspector General of Police on the floor of the Senate for which he was invited by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee but instead brought up other falsehoods to distract the Committee and the members of the Public.

10.The Nigeria Police Force is assuring the media of its support and continued cooperation in ensuring a crime free society and credible reportage. The print media are implored not to allow the pages of their esteemed Newspapers to be used to champion campaign of calumny capable of causing disaffections between the Force and the Public or that can cast aspersions on the hard earned integrity of the leadership of the Force.

11.The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, will not be distracted or deterred by mischievous and misguided individual(s) from carrying out his statutory responsibilities for the benefit of the entire Police Personnel and all Nigerians that we serve.