Leadership (Abuja)
Mamman Yunusa
6 January 2009
opinion
Reacting to last Saturday's LEADERSHIP WEEKEND's report on page 2, where the group "Concerned Indigenes of Yobe", (CIY), asked the presidency to probe IG Okiro and his men over their shoddy handling of the case file involving Senator Usman Albishir and Senator Mamman Ali, Okiro in response to the story through the Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Emmanuel Ojukwu alleged 'bias' on the Inspector General, prompting the questions as to who is really bias in this unending tale of deceit, foul play and conspiracy by the Police.
The call for IG Okiro's probe stems from the handing-over of the original case file to the Yobe State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the defamatory suit the police raised against Albishir at the instance of Mamman Ali of Yobe. The controversy stemmed from the fact that the Federal Government, through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) ordered IG Okiro to hand over the original case file to him for advice, in a letter dated November 10, 2008 after Senator Albishir complained of the very bias manner Okiro and his men had in clear violation of a court order, ambushed his residence in Abuja in a bid to arrest him.
Okiro and his squad- consisting DIG in-charge of 'D' Division, Force Headquarters, Yusuf Haruna, Commissioner of Police in charge of Legal Matters, Sabo Ibrahim Ringim and Deputy Commissioner of Police,Dan Bature, has through their act brought the already diminishing reputation of police to its breaking point. Sadly for a seeming selfish reason, making his allegation of "bias" not only funny, but a depiction of the real character of the Nigeria Police. And so for the records, we set out the issues involved and re-instate to Okiro that "you can lie to the people once in a while, but not all the time, as truth always will be sacrosanct."
After Senator Usman Albishir was "arraigned in abstentia" at a Chief Magistrate Court in Nomansland in Kano for a case that was politically-motivated, without remitting the case file to the Ministry of Justice, Kano for legal advise, the Police finally did after "their arraignment" and further holding of a press, immediately staged to score cheap political goals -fathomed to tarnish Albishir's image.
The department of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of Justice, Kano, in a letter dated May 27, 2008 advised the Kano police command to drop the charges against Senator Albishir as they could not establish any offence committed by him.
The letter titled: Re-Case Diary No KSK/82/08, Commissioner of Police and Senator Usman Albishir and three others, read in part, "It is our considered opinion that there is no evidence what so ever to sustain the charge of homicide against all the accused persons. We, therefore, advise that proceedings in respect of that be terminated in accordance to section 130(1) of the CPC law."
The above advise I believe is in simple English.The first question of bias for the police is why proceed to court before handing the case file over to the Kano Justice Ministry for advice? Is this not insinuating bias?
However,not one to be dribbled by the orchestrations and machinations of cheap politicians, Albishir headed to the Federal High Court in Kano for the enforcement of his fundamental human right. The Federal High Court, Kano, granted Senator Albishir his sought leave to enforce his fundamental human right as to liberty and restrained the IG of police and five others in that suit, from arresting him on account of Hadi Almustapha's complaint, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
While this suit was on, Senator Ali went to the Force Headquarters, Abuja and laid a letter of complaint against Senator Albishir with the IG, alleging defamation of character on the part of Senator Albishir.
Based on Ali's complaint,IG Okiro invited Albishir thrice, which the humble Senator honoured, tendering the Federal High Court, Kano, order which restrained the police and others from harassing or denying him his fundamental human right on this issue. IG Okiro said the case in Kano was different from that in Abuja.
Smelling mischief on the part of the police, Albishir undeterred in his belief of the rule of law, approached the Federal High Court, Abuja and in August 2008 obtained a leave of the court enforcing his fundamental human right as to liberty, for which the police was promptly served.
On November 6, 2008, making nonsense of President Yar'Adua's rule of law, with the Federal High Court, Kano and Federal High Court, Abuja, orders still subsisting, a detachment of about 50 armed policemen ambushed Senator Albishir's residence, holding the house hostage in a bid to arrest the Senator. Is this not bias on the part of the police? Or is he allowing the trio drag his name in the mud after alleged "shady understandings" without his consent?
The third real bias: Starting with LEADERSHIP newspapers, The police on the third week of November 2008, after failing to arrest the Senator, proceeded to exhibit the height of their ignorance and bias when it allegedly placed in different print media their "Wanted," "Wanted," "Wanted", Is this not bias taking into consideration the negation of the rules and regulations as regards arrests and declaring persons wanted? This is even as the police's picking of the bills of the two SANs representing it in this case is questionable.
Then on November 19, 2008, Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court 5, got an extraction from the police lawyers that pending the determination of the suit they will not harass Senator Albishir.
While this was going on DIG Yusuf Haruna, Sabo Ibrahim Ringim and Dan Bature, relocated to Damaturu the Yobe State capital.
Based on a letter of complaint by Albishir, alleging bias, Chief Aondoakaa - Attorney General and Minister of Justice, asked the Inspector General of Police to hand him over the original case file for study and advise while action be suspended on the case.
For more than a month and two weeks, the case file, was never handed over to the Attorney General, forcing Aondoakaa to write the second time to the IG, what we heard was how Yusuf Haruna, Ibrahim Ringim and Dan Bature got a base in Damaturu, from where they continued to scout for a warrant of arrest on Albishir throughout the North Eastern states as there was no warrant to have invaded Albishir's residence.Again is this not bias?
Finally, the issue of the case file. After about a month and two weeks voyage, the police against the orders of the Attorney General of Justice, handed the original case file to the Yobe State Ministry of Justice, while they handed over photocopy of the same case file to Chief Aondoakaa. Does this not have a criminal under tone, grilled with grave bias?
Therefore, I lend my voice to the call for the presidency to probe the IG, Yusuf Haruna, Ibrahim Ringim and Dan Bature, for they are fouling the force and not serving as good examples for junior officers. I think a secret investigation should be launched by the presidency to unravel the alleged "dirty-waters" that seemed to have passed under, so much that the image of the Force could take a hike.
If there is one individual that has suffered bias in this case, it is Senator Albishir whose resolve to reclaim his mandate as the duly elected candidate of the ANPP in Yobe State, has pitched him against persons bent on tarnishing his image.Fortunately the Almighty sees and watches over us and our acts.
A rejoinder to the issues raised herein personally by either Okiro,DIG Haruna,Sabo Ibrahim or Dan Bature would be most cherished. Lets us get their side of the story, justifying their actions or would they continue to be quiet as their acts are defenceless?
Yunusa writes in from Haile Salaisie Close, Asokoro
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