*You are exhibiting nonchalant attitude towards officers’ plight, Senator tackles Police boss
Kingsley Nwezeh and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba yesterday strongly condemned the grievous assault of a female police officer, Inspector Teju Moses by her principal, Prof. Zainab Duke Abiola, who is a legal practitioner and human rights activist as well as her domestic staff.
Her staff included her housemaid, one Rebecca Enechido and a male suspect presently at large.
A statement by Force Headquarters stated that Abiola, an Mbaise, Imo State-born activist allegedly, grievously assaulted her orderly in company of some accomplices on Tuesday 20th September, 2022, at her residence in Garki, Abuja, due to the refusal of the orderly to breach professional ethics by carrying out menial and domestic chores at her house.
It stated the IGP directed the express prosecution of the arrested suspects, who are in police custody as the preliminary investigation showed overwhelming evidence of culpability on the part of the professor and her domestic staff.
The police chief also tasked the investigative team to ensure that the fleeing suspect was arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.
A video clip showing the officer in uniform bleeding, seated on the floor, and asking to be taken to the hospital for medical attention has since gone viral.
“It is pertinent to clarify that the suspect, Prof. Zainab, who name-drops the IGP, his family members, and other officers in the top hierarchy of the force has no acquaintance with the police in any form as erroneously peddled on social media.
“The Inspector-General of Police who similarly ordered the withdrawal of all police personnel attached to the professor, expressed consternation at the fact that an individual who claims to be an advocate for human rights could stoop so low to violate the rights of another individual, a police officer tasked with ensuring her protection”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs and Excise, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, has accused the IGP of not showing serious concern to the plight of policemen constantly being assaulted or killed by individuals and gang of criminals in recent time.
Fadahunsi, who is representing Osun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
He expressed regret that the morale of the policemen across the country is currently low because they knew that the police authorities would not do anything if they sustain injury or die in the course of duty.
He challenged the IGP to wake up to his responsibilities of protecting the personnel under him.
Fadahunsi said the series of attacks and killings of policemen across the country without any drastic action against the perpetrators.
He said, “The morale of the police personnel is low these days because the authorities are not showing much concern to their welfare.
“Criminals are just killing policemen like chickens all over the place and the Inspector General of Police is not talking or taking drastic actions.
“The danger in this is that if the trend continues, it means that we would consistently rely on the military to maintain internal security.
“We cannot continue like this. The IGP and his authorities should wake up and make sure that he guarantees adequate protection of all the policemen in the country.”
He added: “The IGP’s nonchalant attitudes towards the welfare of the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force is dampening their morale. That is why they run away whenever they sight the hoodlums armed with pump action guns.
“The Police is the head of the internal security, the IGP should wake up to his responsibilities.
“There is also the need to decentralise the Nigeria Police Force so that there would be efficiency in their activities because crimes are being committed.”
Some policemen who accompanied the convoy of the Senator representing Anambra South, Ifeanyi Ubah, were brutally murdered recently while the police authorities had yet to make any strong pronouncement that could deter similar occurrences in future.
