IGP Recants, to Appear before Senate as Police Deploy 21,000 for Anambra Poll

By Omololu  Ogunmade in Abuja

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, yesterday promised to appear before the Senate ad-hoc Committee which had summoned him as a mark of respect for the apex legislative body.

Idris who made this promise while answering questions from journalists in the State House, described his summons by the Senate as a legal issue being studied by his legal team.

The police boss had been summoned by an ad-hoc Senate Committee investigating various allegations of misdemeanour levelled against him by Senator Isa Misau (Bauchi Central) including accusations of financial impropriety and abuse of office.

But Idris during the week, shunned his summons by the committee, prompting the Senate to threaten him with a warrant of arrest.

But yesterday, he said the matter was being studied and if necessity dictated his appearance, he would appear before the committee to show his respect for the Senate.

“These are legal issues. We are discussing with our legal team. Obviously, if there is need, we are going to appear for the sake of having respect for the Senate. I will appear before them,” he stated.

Idris said he was in the State House to brief President Muhammadu Buhari on security challenges confronting the nation including cases of kidnapping in various parts of the country.

He also said he briefed the president on security requirements for the forthcoming November 18 governorship election in Anambra State, disclosing that about 21,000 police officers would be deployed to provide security during the election.

Idris also said Police would deploy boats to provide security on water ways while helicopters, conventional and special police units would also be deployed for both aerial surveillance and security situation on land.

“Obviously, I am here as usual to discuss with the Commander-in-chief on the security challenges we are having and how we will face these security challenges adequately.

“The security challenges are obvious. You know we are having elections in Anambra State and we are having challenges in various parts of the country especially some of these issues of kidnapping and these are things I discussed with the President and the measures taken to address it squarely.

“Obviously, we are deploying a lot of police officers, almost about 21,000 police officers to be able to provide adequate security in the Anambra election. 

“We are deploying our water boats to take care of the water ways, we are deploying our helicopters to take care of the aerial surveillance and we are deploying our conventional policemen and special police units to take care of situations on ground and by the grace of God, we are going to have a successful and peaceful election in Anambra State,” he said.

Idris also disclosed that the special unit of the Nigeria Police had been deployed to the notorious Kaduna – Abuja highway to tame rampant kidnap cases on the road.

He said through the deployment coupled with the Act of the National Assembly prescribing death penalty for kidnapping, no fewer than 3,000 arrested suspects had been charged to court.

“Kaduna – Abuja Road as you observed, we have deployed our special unit there and we have arrested several of these kidnappers and I want to appreciate the effort of the National Assembly for providing a sort of death penalty for suspects [who are] involved in some of these cases of kidnapping and I’m sure that in some few weeks’ time, we are going to have a drastic fall in the report of some of these incidences of kidnapping in those areas because of this punishment that has been made now by the National Assembly.

“We are taking them to court on everyday basis. Presently, we have almost over 3,000 suspects in various police stations all over the country and we are taking them to court. Recently, I set up a task force to sort of streamline or scrutinise these cases so that we have speedy trial of some of these suspects,” he said.