From Fred Itua, Abuja
Senate may issue a warrant of arrest on Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, if he fails to appear before its Ad hoc committee investigating various allegations leveled against the police and the Police Service Commission (PSC).
Committee chairman, Senator Francis Alimikhena, told newsmen, yesterday, that the IGP was summoned on October 16, 2017, to appear before the panel and respond to allegations against him by Senator Isah Hamman Misau. The IGP did not appear.
Instead, Alimikhena said his lawyer, Alex Iziyon (SAN), informed the committee in a letter that the matter is already in court and will, therefore, not appear before it.
A visibly angry Alimikhena said nobody, including law courts, can not stop Senate from carrying out its constitutional duties. He maintained that the separation of powers guaranteed by law, makes it explicit.
Quoting section 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Alimikhena said Idris will be summoned again and must appear on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Failure to appear, Alimikhena said, Senate will invoke relevant sections of the law.
Section 89, which the committee is relying on reads: “For the purposes of any investigation under section 88 of this constitutional and subject to the provisions thereof, the Senate or the House of Representatives or a committee appointed in accordance with section 62 of this constitution shall have power to procure all such evidence, written or oral, direct or circumstantial, as it may think necessary or desirable, and examine all persons as witnesses whose evidence may be material or relevant to the subject matter…
“Issue a warrant to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to do so and does not excuse such failure, refusal or neglect to the satisfaction of the House or the committee in question, and order him to pay all costs which may have been occasioned in compelling his attendance or by reason of his failure, refusal or neglect to obey the summons, and also to impose such fine as may be prescribed for any such failure, refused or neglect; and any fine so imposed shall be recoverable in the same manner as a fine imposed by a court of law.
“A summons or warrant issued under this section may be served or executed by any member of the Nigeria Police Force or by any person authorised in that behalf by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may require.”
Announcing plans by the committee to re-summon the IGP, Alimikhena told journalists: “We invited the IGP to appear before our committee. This morning (yesterday), we got a letter from his lawyer, Alex Iziyon, that he will not appear before this committee. He said the IGP has already gone to court and appearing will be subjudice.
“It is our duty as a parliament to investigate the allegations raised. This committee was set up before they went to court. We cannot be stopped. No court can stop us from carrying out our duties. There is separation of powers. No court can stop us.
“We will invite him again next Tuesday. There are issues about virement in the 2017 budget which Misau also raised. We need him to respond to these allegations. We will invite him again and he will appear before us. If he fails to appear, we will invoke Section 89 of the 1999 constitution, as amended.”
Misau, last week, while testifying before the probe panel, alleged that the IGP purchased two jeeps for the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari.
He also alleged that the IGP had siphoned over N120 billion generated by the Force in one year. He also claimed that the police boss impregnated a serving police officer and hurriedly arranged a marriage ceremony in Kaduna.
The IGP, through the Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, has however dismissed the claims. Similarly, Mrs Buhari has also denied the purchase of cars for her by the IGP.