Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has applauded the court ruling that sentenced the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to three months imprisonment.
The group hailed the justice system for its courageous decision, adding that it shows that nobody is above the law.
HURIWA noted that the Judiciary had lawfully exercised the judicial authority conferred on it by Section (6) subsection (1) of the 1999 constitution.
The Inspector General of Police was sentenced to three months imprisonment for contempt of court after his refusal to obey a court order made by the Federal High Court.
HURIWA said that the order of the Federal High Court must be obeyed with immediate effect, “meaning that the IGP should surrender himself with his prison bag straight to the correctional center in Kuje. He should not treat this court order with ignominy or contempt,” it said in a statement to journalists on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.
“We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to personally supervise the surrender of the IGP to the Federal Correctional Center, Kuje, without wasting time. Anything outside of strict compliance with this court order will mean that Nigeria has become a banana republic.”
The rights group said that the IGP could not be excused on the nebulous ground that he did not originate the breach of the court’s order even if he was the holder of the office at the time of the genesis of the matter because the office of the IGP is consistently occupied.
HURIWA, therefore, counselled the IGP to obey before complaining by complying with the judgment or getting a stay of execution order quickly.
IGP Warns Against Use Of Police Uniforms On Social Media
The Nigeria Police Force has issued a strict warning on the misuse of police uniforms on social media.
This is coming after the police suspended two supernumerary officers for violation of social media policy.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, in a statement said the use of uniforms is only restricted to officers of the force.
Part of the statement read; “The incessant, illegal and unwarranted use of Police Uniforms restricted to bonafide serving officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
“This is coming on the heels of the suspension of two Supernumerary Police Officers, with immediate effect, for breach of the provisions of the Police Act, 2020.
“The Nigeria Police Guidelines for Recruitment/Promotion/Discipline of Supernumerary Police (SPY) 2013 by the Inspector-General of Police, as captured in a video posted by one of the officers in a viral video on August 3rd, 2022.”
How Politicians Pushed Me To Contest For Elections And Collected All My Savings – Retired IGP
Mike Okiro, a former Inspector-General of Police, IGP, has revealed how some unnamed politicians allegedly “swindled” him out of all his savings when he contested his Senate seat after retirement.
Okiro, who spoke in Abuja at a programme tagged: “Presidential aspirants’ media interactive platform” organised by New Nigeria Dream Initiative, NNDI, explained that some group of persons tricked him to join the political race after he left office and gradually collected all his money till he was left with nothing.
The septuagenarian lambasted Nigerians for always collecting money from politicians when seeking elective positions, saying they are the problems of the government and “we have more faults than the politicians”.
The former police boss and 13th indigenous Inspector-General of Police, who served between 2007 and 2009, cautioned Nigerians to say “enough is enough” in 2023 by rejecting politicians’ money during the voting process.
He said, “Nigerians will talk about the leadership deficiency, but I say no, that is not enough! It takes two angles! If leaders have deficiency, we have followers’ complacency! Because if leaders are behaving, we just laugh, wave at them, and say walk and go! And they will do the same thing again.
“But if we say no! Enough is enough, they change! You go, they give you money for votes so that you can vote for somebody whether the person can perform or not! They give you N5, 000 and you look for four years. That means the N5, 000 is your due for four years.
“I am talking about this thing because once in a time, the politicians have faults but we have more faults than the politicians. I have an experience, let me share the experience, I corrected myself and I said bye bye to that thing.
“I contested election in Abuja here, Senate. I was on my own when they called me to come and contest. I said I have just retired, they said no, come and contest! I said Okay, I will discuss with my wife. I told my wife and she said I am afraid.
“So, they would come to me and say we want to go here, bring money; we want to do this, bring money; we want to do that, bring money; I gave all my savings, nothing again to give. They came one day, I said I was not going to give more money because I have nothing to give you.
“They told me the former man was not doing very well but I should come and try. You want me to give more but where do I get money from? I said okay, let’s do it this way, assuming I now go to borrow money or sell property to give to you, and I am elected, of course, the first thing I will do is to pay back that debt and all the property I sold, I buy them back.
“I know that after four years, there will be another election, I will reserve money for that election so that I will not borrow again. You people are the fault of this government. We should say no to election vote sellers.”
He added that Nigerians should jettison voting of political parties and ensure they bring in someone with good track records who can deliver dividends of democracy to them.
He added, “We’re not going to follow bad wagons, we are going to vote for people irrespective of their political parties. It can be A B C D or UAW or whatever party. We will look at individuals. Is he good?
“Look at his track records! Look at people who are qualified, not where they come from, irrespective of the party they belong to, to make sure that if they rule us, the dividend of democracy will reach everyone.”
Source: Daily Post
