Razaq Bamidele
Major opposition parties in Nigeria, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu over alleged incompetence, insecurity and police brutality in Nigeria.
The call was contained in a statement in Abuja signed by its deputy spokesman, Mr. Mark Adeboye, which alleged that the IGP has failed in his duty to secure the country, warning that, “if he fails to resign or get sacked, his incompetence has the tendency to crash the country’s democracy.
Adeboye, who is also the National Chairman of the KOWA Party in the statement further stated that, “cases of insecurity and police brutality in the country are so alarming that calling for his immediate resignation by the CUPP appears imperative in the interest of the Nigerian people.”
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The coalition said that, “the latest in the anti-democratic actions of the Inspector General of Police is the order for the arrest and illegal detention of the Nigeria opposition spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere despite being served with an order of the High Court directly and positively restraining him from making such arrest.”
The CUPP, therefore, declared emphatically that, “the Inspector General of Police cannot be a law unto himself, because he is not above the law and he must learn to obey the Constitution, the Courts and other laws of our country.
“Nigerians are worried that a motley crowd of poorly armed bandits in the North-West are ravaging communities killing Nigerians in their hundreds while the IGP stands aside and mopes. He is waiting for the Nigeria Army to do his job of providing internal security.”
The coalition expressed worry that, “kidnapping is now big business owing to the failures of the IGP and Nigerians are not aware of any standard operation procedure for issues of rape of women and children which have attained unprecedented heights in our country in his time.”
The CUPP further alleged that, “the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, obviously acting on the instruction of the Inspector General of Police has been seen in a viral video blocking the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, from moving out of the Government House so that he would not defect from the ruling party.”
“When has it become the job of the Police to stop politicians from defecting to other political parties?
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“Doesn’t the IGP know that Section 308 of the Constitution grants immunity to the Ondo State Deputy Governor?
“Does it mean the Inspector General of Police is not disturbed enough by the crisis of insecurity in the country that he has time to play partisan politics?
“Has the Inspector General of Police sanctioned the Ondo State Police Commissioner if he claims he was not aware of the illegal actions of the Commissioner at least to restore some modicum of neutrality to the Police?” the coalition wondered.
“This was the same IGP that sent over 30,000 men to Kogi State to provide security for elections yet they were unable to stop men in Police uniforms whom he referred to as Fake Policemen from snatching electoral materials and disrupting the election.
“This is the same IGP that arrested organisers of peaceful protests in Katsina just last week who protested against his failures to provide security so they could work and sleep without being slaughtered by bandits,” the parties queried.
The opposition parties therefore called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately resign from office and apologise to Nigerians for the lives that have been lost due to his incompetence so that another officer who can do the job professionally, independently and impartially will be appointed.
It pointed out that, “the insecurity situation in the North as well as all over Nigeria is a threat to Nigeria and her democracy and we and entire Nigerian citizens cannot afford to toy with such a threat.”
