The House of Representatives on Wednesday told President Muhammadu Buhari to replace the present Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris with a more professional officer.
The lawmakers were of the opinion that the IGP, due to his utterances, actions and inactions can no longer be trusted to conduct his job in an apolitical manner, and thereby putting the lives of Nigerians in jeopardy.
Two motions of urgent national importance presented by two members of the House of Reps on Wednesday culminated in the vote of no confidence on the number one cop.
The first was by Mark Gbillah, APC Benue titled “Motion in the derogatory statement by the Police PRO against an executive Governor of a state and the seeming unwillingness of the Inspector General of Police to recognize and enforce a constitutionally enacted law by an executive arm of government.”
The second motion was by Abubarkar Dannuram with the titled “motion on need to curb thuggery development in political activities in Kano and Nigeria in general.”
Gbillah’s motion chronicled the inability of the Police Boss to perform up to par in the wake of the killing of 73 indigenes of Benue state and the utterance of the IGP before a Senate committee that the Open Grazing Prohibition Law by the Benue State House of Assembly was responsible for the killings by Fulani Herdsmen and that the state government should scrap the law.
The motion also spoke of the alleged derogatory statement made by the Police Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, who called the Executive Governor of Benue State “a drowning man” on television.
The lawmaker thereafter called on the House call on the IGP to apologize to the Benue State Governor over the derogatory statement of the Police PRO and relieve him of his duties immediately, and to mandate the relevant committee to investigate the alleged statements made by the IGP’s and the implications to his ability to superintend the resolution of the killings in Benue and other parts of the country if found to be true.
But Danburam’s motion which alleged that the Nigerian Police and other security agencies have turned a blind eyes to illegal acts of terror being perpetuated in Kano and other parts of Nigeria was the turning point in yesterday’s critical resolution of the House.
His prayers were to invite the IGP and Kano State Commissioner of Police to give account of what happened in Kano State and direct them both to provide measure against thuggery in Kano State.
But this quickly changed when Hon. John Dyegh ( APC Benue ) moved an amendment that it was evident from the slant of arguments, discussions and presentation on the floor that members have lost confidence in the Inspector-General of Police. This, he said, should be one of the prayers of Danburam’s motion.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara thereafter asked the members if that was what they wanted and all members on the floor responded in the affirmative.
He subsequently put this to a vote, and the House overwhelming passed a vote of no confidence on the Inspector-General of Police.
