Jimoh Moshood, the Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, is certainly not in good relations with the public after a series of public relation blunders, the latest been the encounter he had with journalists whom he berated for entering the Louis Edet headquarters of the Nigerian police, ‘without any invitation’.
The incident occurred when Kassim Afegbua, the spokesperson of former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida showed up at the Force Headquarters, Abuja on Wednesday, February 7, 2018.
Moshood said the journalists had no right to enter the premises of the force without an invitation from him.
Efforts to explain to him that journalists were only doing their jobs, were rebuffed, as Moshood said, “I don’t give a damn”.
It will be recalled that the Police had, on Monday, declared Afegbua wanted, in connection with a statement he had issued on behalf of former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
He was asked to report at the nearest Police Station. Consequent upon the action, Afegbua arrived the Force Headquarters at about 10: 30 am, in the company of his lawyer, Mr. Kayode Ajulo.
He had hardly arrived in a convoy of about three vehicles when newsmen approached him for an interview.
Asked to say what it feels like being declared wanted, Afegbua said it was “unwise” of the Police, to have done so.
He wondered why he would be declared wanted when he was not a fugitive to the law.
“I am only here personally because I was declared wanted; I am not on the run, I am not a fugitive to the law and as a responsible Nigerian, I feel it was unwise on the part of the police to declare me wanted when I have not been formally invited.
“So, I am here to present myself. I am here with my family members and my lawyer”, Afegbua said.
Responding to a question on what may have necessitated the release of a second statement, the fact that the former Military President confirmed the authenticity of the first letter, made the second one a non-issue.
Hear him: “If the (former) President has spoken…to confirm the veracity of the statement I issued on his behalf, the other letter wouldn’t be an issue.
“Because essentially, that statement as far as i am concerned, did not speak for IBB and General Babangida, by the special grace of God was former President and his title is GCFR and not GCON. So to me, the purported rebuttal is unnecessary.”
Speaking on the N1 billion fundamental rights suit he slammed on the Police, he noted: “The laws of the land are very clear. When you declared somebody who is not a criminal or a fugitive wanted, you have not tried to arrest him, and he evaded arrest. All you hear on television locally and internationally is to demean his personality, integrity.
“It is understandable why I will have to extract my own commitment by way of asking the law court to enforce my right because I have a right under the constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended to freedom of association, freedom of speech and dignity and even if anything warrants one being declared wanted, it shouldn’t be in that manner.”
He, however, disclosed that the Police were the only defendant in the suit, as he had struck out the names of other two respondents.
Read more at New Telegraph
