By Mohammed Baba
Last week, thousands of protesters under different Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) besieged the National Assembly in a show of support for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris.
On Wednesday last week, IGP Idris honored the invitation by the Senate to appear before the committee investigating alleged mismanagement of police funds raised by Senator Isa Misau.
Some of the CSOs that attended the protest included the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Students (CCNS), Market Women Association of Nigeria and many others.
Addressing the audience, the National President of Market Women Association of Nigeria, Felicia Sani, called on the members of the National Assembly to concentrate on their constitutional role of law making to better life of millions of Nigerian who, according to her, are passing through excruciating suffering due to the harsh economic realities in the country and leave the IGP alone.
According to her, the current IGP has shown great dexterity and exceptional maturity in the handling of crime and criminalities in the country in recent times which, she said, led to arrest of over 3,000 suspected kidnappers across the country.
She noted that market women and men across the country are doing their business under secure environment, not under intense fear as it used to be. She noted that some few years back, they could not move freely in the various markets across the country.
“The entire country is, to some extent more safe than before. We can now do our business without any fear. The rate of armed robbery and other criminality has also reduced in the country.
“Senator Misau and the entire Senate should leave the IGP alone. They should stop distracting him so that he will continue with the good work he is doing to keep the country safe.
“All those distracting the IGP and the entire Muhammadu Buhari government from performing their constitutional duties should know that there is a day of reckoning when they will stand before God and give account of all they have done on earth,” she admonished.
On her part, convener of the protest, Gloria Ugbeji, said such solidarity march was necessary because, according to her, most Nigerians have seen and are happy with the various reforms the IGP and his management team have brought to the service.
“The IGP should be left alone to focus on what he is doing,” she said.
On his part, National President of the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Students (CCNS), Comrade Omoba Michael, warned that the President Buhari’s anti-corruption war must not be derailed or trivialized by enemies of the State for cheap popularity and needless political gain.
According to him: “It is to the president’s credit that he appointed credible personnel to man the nation’s security and anti-corruption agencies with the clear brief of brining saboteurs to justice within the shortest possible time.
“The Police, which touch on all aspects of law enforcement architecture of any nation, got an exceptional officer in Ibrahim Idris as the IGP. Since assumption of office he has made unprecedented strides in combating criminal element of society that made life difficult for the average Nigerians going about his lawful daily activities.
“The capture of notorious kidnapping kingpin, Evans and the crushing of the nefarious Badoo cultists that terrorized Lagos residents are undisputable cases in point of the IGP’s forthrightness in leading a modern Police force befitting of the giant of Africa.”
He reiterated that the IGP’s innovative approach to administration has led to programmes such as the Eminent Persons Forum that incorporated successfully the citizens of Nigeria into the security management loop with clear channels of communication that gave life to Community Policing.
He noted that: “Many of our students who were harassed by cultists and other criminal elements of society in the past are able to pursue their academic goals due to the more visible presence of men and officers of the Nigeria Police force in and around our campuses.”
Comrade Michael therefore said that the current attempt to soil the name and reputation of the IGP is rather worrisome in nature dimension.
“We condemn these clandestine schemes that are targeted ultimately at the person of our selfless and hardworking President Buhari, which is being orchestrated by the usual political actors who feel that their status and unhindered access to our collective patrimony is being threatened.
“We call on Senator Isa Misau to desist from further distracting the IGP by throwing baseless accusations against him. Nigeria is run by a constitution and we will resist any attempt by any individuals to abuse the right of free speech by casting aspersions on the person of the IGP.
“The laws permit anybody to aspire to any political office. However, we will resist any attempt to pull down the Nigeria Police Force.
“We urge IGP Idris to carry on in his stated mission of relegating criminality in Nigeria to the statue of unattractiveness by bringing criminals to justice and enlisting the cooperation of Nigerians.
“We urge Mr. President to continue to support and empower the Police to protect lives and property in Nigeria so that the work of development can continue in a rancor –free environment.
“We call on those behind these unpatriotic schemes to set our country back to turn a new leaf and contribute actively towards building a Nigeria worthy of bequeathing to future generations, or face the weight of the law and wrath of Nigerians.”
A cross section of participants at the protest march called on the members of the National Assembly, well-meaning Nigerians to give the IGP the needed support to enable him continue to good work he is currently doing in keeping the country safe.
Baba writes from Abuja
