The Nigeria Police Force has addressed Saraki’s recent claims that the Inspector General of Police, was after his life and that of his family members. The adresss, which was publicised by the Police Public Relations Officer, DCP Jimoh Ibrahim , stated that there was no report about vandalism or police shielding APC members in the state as claimed by the senate president. The NPF also revealed that instead, the report it received were those of PDP thugs that disrupted APC rallies and campaigns at specific areas of the state. On Saraki’s comments, the Nigeria Police Force described it as criminal defamation, hate speech, and insult against the IGP. Read the address below.
RE – STATEMENT BY SENATE PRESIDENT, DR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI,CON ON RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN KWARA STATE All the Police personnel attached to the person of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, his office and family are intact and all the statutory security protection on the person of the Senate President are also accorded him all the time and there was no complaint from the Senate President before now to the Police on this. Buhari, IGP meet behind closed doors The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that all the allegations in the statement of the Senate President are incorrect, misleading and false and should be disregarded and discountenanced by the general Public. The Force sees this unprovoked and unwarranted attack on person of Inspector General of Police by the Senate President as criminal defamation, hate speech and insulting. As we speak, the situation report from Kwara State Police Command was that the APC holding a Governorship campaign rally at Agbaji in Ilorin came under a sudden attack by suspected PDP thugs, who disrupted the rally, damaged five (5) vehicles and some Keke Napep and wounded two (2) innocent people. The family house of the Senate President was not attacked as being peddled in some social media.
Also, read : Buhari Will Lose Election Next Month, Here’s Why- Babangida
The attention of the Nigeria Police Force was drawn to a statement in the media on Friday, 11th January, 2019 credited to the Senate President on the recent political development in Kwara State where he raised allegations that “…the entire world to hold the IGP responsible if anything untoward happens to members of my family and myself and that the Inspector General of Police is after my life” as serially false and mischievous. The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that all the allegations in the statement of the Senate President are incorrect, misleading and false and should be disregarded and discountenanced by the general Public. The Nigeria Police Force did not give any protection to any political thug or shield any APC thug to go to the family quarters of the Senate President in Agbaji, Ilorin and vandalize houses, shops and inflict wounds with machete on three (3) people as claimed by the Senate President. The Police did not equally receive any complaint or report of gunshot and wounding as claimed by the Senate President in other areas he mentioned such as Adewole/Adeta, Ile-otan and ubandawaki/pakata in Ilorin, Kwara State. For avoidance of doubt, there was no complaint reported at any Police Division/Station within Ilorin metropolis or in any other Police Division throughout Kwara State on the 10th and 11th January, 2019 of any attack, wounding, shooting and destruction of any property by any individual(s) or any political party member. However, Security within Ilorin metropolis and other locations in kwara State has been beefed-up to ensure security of all Nigerians living in the State. It is pertinent to state that all Police personnel attached to the person of the Senate President, his office and family are intact and all the statutory security protection on the person of the Senate President are also accorded him all the time and there was no complaint whatsoever from the Senate President before now to the Police on this.
The Force sees this unprovoked and unwarranted attack on person of Inspector General of Police by the Senate President as criminal defamation, hate speech and insulting. No doubt, the statement of the Senate President is evidently his characteristic mind set and pattern of misleading and misinforming the public to unjustifiably deride and castigate the leadership of public institutions such as the Nigeria Police Force. The media will recall that while Senator Dino Melaye was evading arrest by hiding inside his residence in Maitama, Abuja, the Senate President made a statement that the Nigeria Police Force did not send a letter of invitation to the Clerk of the National Assembly by the Police inviting Senator Dino Melaye to report to the Kogi State Police Command for investigation for offence of criminal conspiracy, attempted murder and culpable homicide, this statement by the Senate President on Senator Dino Melaye was however discovered serially and entirely untrue and false, as the Police Investigation Team provided an acknowledged copy of the said letter stamped received on the 24th July, 2018, by the Clerk of the National Assembly. It is incumbent on the Force to set the record straight and correct the wrong impressions that must have been created in the minds of the general Public and the International Community from the misinformation and misleading account from the Senate President. The Inspector General of Police is not after the life of the Senate President and did not try any trick to implicate the Senate President in some criminal charges as alleged by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki; the facts are in the public domain about the suspects of the Offa Bank Robbery now being prosecuted who implicated the Senate President on his involvement in the matter. As we speak, the situation report from Kwara State Police Command was that the APC holding a Governorship campaign rally at Agbaji in Ilorin came under a sudden attack by suspected PDP thugs, who disrupted the rally, damaged five (5) vehicles and some Keke Napep and wounded two (2) innocent people. The family house of the Senate President was not attacked as being peddled in some social media. Kwara State Police Command has brought the situation under control, normalcy restored and investigation on-going.
The Nigeria Police Force is hereby assuring all Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force has no any undisguised hostility to the Senate President or his supporters in Kwara State or plan to jeopardize or undermine his personal security and that of his immediate and larger family. The Force will continue to be apolitical and will ensure adequate security throughout the Country for all political parties, their members and supporters before, during and after the 2019 General Election.