Atiku Denies Link with Oba Akiolu’s Retirement from Police

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has debunked the accusations by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, that he and others were responsible for his retirement from the police force in 2002.

Reacting to the oba’s allegations published in a section of the media, the former vice president said in a statement by his media office in Abuja yesterday that at no time did he suggest nor propose the removal of Akiolu from the police force.

The statement explained that Atiku never supervised the Nigeria Police or the Police Service Commission (PSC), and therefore, couldn’t have been part of any alleged plot to force the oba out of public service for committing no offence.

The former vice president also explained that he had no power over the police force or the PSC to remove anybody for whatever reason from office without committing any offence.

He maintained that he was not familiar with Oba Akiolu as at the time the monarch was removed from the police force.

He said he holds the Oba of Lagos in the highest esteem, but he is totally innocent of the allegations the monarch made against at him.