The creation of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Squad (IRT) was one of the many innovative initiatives of the present IGP Mr. Mohammed Adamu aimed at combating crime, especially kidnapping that had become an intractable scourge before his coming into office. And with the coming of the IRT, the spate of kidnapping in the country seemed to have ebbed significantly with the arrest and prosecution of the many high-profile kidnapping kingpins.
It is, therefore, heart-rending to hear of the news of the scrapping of the state offices of the IRT and its submersion into the FCIIB. The IGP has ordered the scraping of the IRT satellite offices and the merger of IRT and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) into FIB ostensibly “to reposition the police and ensure accountability and due process.”
According to the IGP, the integration of the IRT and STS into the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) headed by Ibrahim Lamorde was to improve efficiency. But many have expressed reservations about the recent development. It is insinuated that officers who were envious of DCP Abba Kyari’s soaring profile were behind the move to scrap the Intelligence Response Unit that has performed very well in stemming the ugly tide of kidnapping in the country.
Thus, the said disbandment of the IGP-IRT squad did not in any way come to many as a surprise. This is because it expected that those – kidnappers, the armed robbers and their sponsors – whose illegal activities are affected by the operations of the special squad, would react with time. I do not want to believe that the issue is the result of envy as is being insinuated in some quarters. Otherwise, why would an indolent State CP who could not battle notorious kidnappers ravaging his state complain about the IRT that has made his job easier? Where were those petition-writing coalitions when these criminals were operating unhindered in the country?
It is a tactical error to change or downgrade a winning team. Abba Kyari IRT squad is about action, performance and dedication to duty. He works conscientiously and with uncommon dedication to duty and patriotic zeal. If our anti-graft agencies work the way Abba Kyari works, our corruption level will reduce and our ratings will notch up. Indeed, if all the security outfits, anti-crime and anti-corruption agencies work like the IGP-IRT squad, crime would most certainly be reduced to the barest minimum in our land.
The ardour and zeal with which he brings into his work can be attested to by his accomplishments, too numerous to mention. Abba Kyari appears to be the most decorated officer of the Nigerian Police, the most dedicated officer, one of the poster boys of the force currently. Nobody has such record in the history of the force. I have no space in this piece to rehash the exploits of Abba Kyari; they are there in the public domain for anyone to see.
Interestingly, there are no known controversies around him despite the many high-profile assignments which he has carried out. In spite of the many successes he has recorded and the numerous awards in his kitty, he still remains himself – humble, courageous and of gentle disposition. He is not given to flippancy and he craves no special media attention. Real achievers are never boisterous; they allow their works to speak for them.
Granted, there may be bad eggs in the IRT group as alleged by some faceless petitioners but do we throw away the child with the bath water? For instance, do we disband the police force because there are a few bad elements within the force? There could be infiltration and sabotage, no doubt. It is expected but that is not enough to contemplate disbanding the IGP-IRT squad that has successfully tamed kidnappers in the land. The IRT has done creditably well. What it requires is encouragement and strengthening.
That some few elements within decided to misbehave is not enough to discredit the sterling performance of the squad and it leader DCP Abba Kyari. Yes, there must be complaints but it should be treated on case by case basis and those found culpable should be sanctioned accordingly. But that is clearly not enough to disband a squad that has acquitted itself creditably well.
I read the communiqué of the coalition of CSOs supporting the scrapping of the IRT satellite offices. I do not want to believe the coalition of CSOs was sponsored in this needless campaign to scrap the IGP-IRT that has done well in stemming the tide of crime. Let me believe they were misled. While listing the six isolated cases on which they based their campaign, they did not list the list of accomplishments by the IRT under the able command of DCP Abba Kyari instead they made a vague and derogatory reference to “the oft-advertised achievements of the IRT Commander, DCP Abba Kyari” as if the performances and the high-profile arrest accomplished by the Abba Kyari-led squad were a fluke or non-existent. All these emergency advocates and hired helps, where were they when armed robbers and kidnappers took the centre stage?
Again, I implore those who are envious of the performances of Abba Kyari to have a rethink. I do not think any conscientious Officer that want peace in his area of jurisdiction would growl about the response squad created to assist him. The said DPO and the state CPs complaining about the IRT should be identified and properly investigated. As I indicated earlier, the IGP-IRT squad is the initiative of the current IGP aimed at curtailing the high incidences of crime – kidnapping, cult-related activities etcetera and from all indications the squad that is headed by DCP Abba Kyari has done creditably well, arresting high-profile cases, accomplishing what was thought impossible.
Those campaigning for the disbandment do not mean well. The IGP should not be stampeded or misled into taking hasty decisions concerning this. All those in the squad identified to have done something wrong should be fished out investigated and sanctioned accordingly. Scraping the IGP-IRT would lead to spectre of crime again. Disbanding the IGP-IRT satellite offices would not be in the best interest of the nation. It would spiral criminal activities again.
In particular, Abba Kyari has done creditably well by all indications. He should be commended, promoted and given higher responsibility instead of making him play a second fiddle under FCIIB if the IGP insist on the merger. His sterling performance has received the commendation of the National Assembly. Indeed, I was particularly touched by the rumoured scrapping of the IRT which DCP Abba Kyari heads. But scrapping it would be a welcome development if Abba Kyari is being prepared for higher responsibilities and the EFCC would be a good destination for the gallant officer of the law.
Hajia Hadiza Mohammed, actress, social activist, politician, London, UK; [email protected]
