August 14, 2008
Saharareporters, New York
The recent demotion of 134 police officers by the Parry Osayande-led Police Service Commission has opened up Pandora's box at Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Headquarters.
SaharaReporters spoke to several top management officials who expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership style of the Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro. The majority of the officers who spoke anonymously to SaharaReporters said the IGP may have been derailed from the onset because of the politics surrounding his appointment as IG.
The officers say morale at Force Headquarters has nosedived, just as crime and insecurity has not abated under Okiro's leadership. The officers noted under Okiro, armed bandits have killed more policemen than under any other IG in the history of the force.
Umaru Yar'adua appointed Mr. Okiro in 2007, after the name of the most senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Ogbonnaya Onovo, had already been announced in the news media as the replacement for the retiring IG, Sunday Ehindero. In an unprecedented move, Okiro's name swiftly replaced that of Onovo.
It turned out that James Ibori, the former governor of Delta State who bankrolled Yar'adua's flawed election, had been instrumental to the decision. Since becoming the IG, Okiro has carried on as if he owes his life to Ibori.
To Yar'adua, Okiro expresses his loyalty in a manner that is unprofessional and unbefitting, according to police officers at Force Headquarters. In March 2008, at a public event in Lagos, he spoke of his readiness to die for Yar'adua. The senior officers said it was the height of embarrassment for the Police force
Okiro's first pronouncement in office was curiously that the 2007 elections were free and fair, even as the tribunals were yet to begin sitting. He then began his stint as an IG started by sending senior police officers to meet with Ibori in the United States while the former was practically a fugitive from the law as he was being sought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). That meeting, which involved Ibori and three Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs), took place in Los Angeles, California.
The three officers were in the U.S. to attend the 114th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference and Exposition taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ibori and Okiro arranged for them to fly out to Los Angeles for the secret meeting with the former governor. Saharareporters reported then that the top police officers were to arrange for Ibori's hassle-free return to Nigeria. He returned to Nigeria, undetected, a week later.
The EFCC later arrested Ibori and began prosecuting him for fraud, abuse of office and corruption. But it was not long after that before the head of the agency, Nuhu Ribadu, was sent on a study leave at the Nigeria Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), terminating his tenure at the EFCC.
The removal of Ribadau was done while Ibori was remanded in prison custody in Kaduna, and the action, Saharareporters vividly reported, was taken at the behest of Ibori.
Our Force Headquarters sources have told us that the appointment of commissioners of police was also done with the influence of Ibori and Bukola Saraki of Kwara State. They spoke of frequent trips by Okiro to the home of Ibori in the Aso Drive area of Abuja.
Furthermore, an officer told our reporters that IG Okiro travels extensively between Ibori's house and Aso Rock presidential villa. The officers individually spoke of how Okiro has created a clique at Headquarters composed of his cronies namely, AIG Isreal Ajao and Yusuf Haruna.
He is also said to have sidelined DIG Hafiz Ringim, and uses Ogbonaya Onovo as a footstool. Okiro once single handedly fired his arch-enemy, DIG Kyierai Dudari, before the Police Service Commission (PSC) recalled him. However, the PSC, after recalling asked that he be retired for committing forgery.
The senior officers have also complained about Okiro’s extensive business interests, which, they say, range from real estate to hotels and educational institutions, and are in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Okiro reportedly runs a protection racket for economic criminals using his office as IG; the officers cited the collusion between Okiro and Kenny Martins, who is currently under prosecution by the EFCC, in the diversion of Police Equipment Funds (PEF), saying it explains why Okiro allowed Martins to defraud the fund despite earlier petitions that flooded the police headquarters about the looting of PEF funds.
Another case creating unease in the Aso Rock Villa is the extensive protection and cover given Timi Alaibe, the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by Okiro. Senior police officers at the force headquarters told Saharareporters that the recent arrest of the NDDC chairman, Sam Edem, was aimed at covering up Mr. Alaibe’s extensive corruption at the NDDC. Another source at the presidential villa told Saharareporters that Okiro nearly cried when Yar’adua requested Mrs. Farida Waziri of the EFCC to take over the NDDC investigations. Okiro begged Yar’adua to allow the police to complete the investigations so as to protect Alaibe from proper investigation for corruption.
Okiro, his wife, his daughter, Yvonne Okiro, as well as his sons are said to be in charge of several businesses to which the IG has diverted huge funds. The officers have promised to supply the details to Saharareporters at the appropriate time.
They also drew attention to the action of Okiro in dispatching a police helicopter to remove Ibori from Kaduna Prison to the National Hospital Abuja. Ibori, who was facing a 103-count charge for fraud and money laundering, had been remanded in Kaduna prison by a judge of the Federal High Court in Kaduna. He was rushed to Abuja in a police helicopter marked 5NSGE, and the officers said it was an aberration to take Ibori to a hospital when he was not under the care of the Nigerian police or any of its affiliates. The senior officers said Okiro did not dispatch a police helicopter to help Haz Iwendi, the commissioner of Police in charge of Kaduna State when he had stroke and later died recently.
The other sins of Okiro was that he has been diverting contracts for the procurement of vehicles, ambulances and Police Housing mostly to a Yar'adua associate referred to as "Ibrahim". The contracts are said to run into millions of dollars.
Okiro's cup may have overflowed before his lieutenants at force Headquarters recently after the much-criticized demotion of 134 police officers in collaboration with the Police Service Commission (PSC). The Chairman of the PSC is Parry B.O Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).
The serving police officers said it was wrong to have made Osayande the chairman of the PSC since he earned his promotion to the position of DIG under a military dictatorship. One of the police officers demoted, Solomon Arase, currently at the Nigeria War College is from the same hometown as Osayande, a Bini man.
One of the police officers told Saharareporters that it was Solomon Arase, while he was the Principal Staff Officer to the former IG Sunday Ehindero, who brought Osayande name to Obasanjo to be appointed as the chairman of the PSC. Other members of the PSC include Hon. Justice Akintola Olufemi Ejiwunmi, Rtd, who died last month.
Also on the Commission is the publisher of the struggling weekly tabloid, The Source, Ms. Comfort Obi, and Dr. Otive Igbuzor, who is representing the Nigerian "civil society". The last two members are Dr. I.I. Idaji and Alhaji Habu Daura.
The recent demotion of 134 police officers by the Parry Osayande-led Police Service Commission has opened up Pandora's box at Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Headquarters.
SaharaReporters spoke to several top management officials who expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership style of the Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro. The majority of the officers who spoke anonymously to SaharaReporters said the IGP may have been derailed from the onset because of the politics surrounding his appointment as IG.
The officers say morale at Force Headquarters has nosedived, just as crime and insecurity has not abated under Okiro's leadership. The officers noted under Okiro, armed bandits have killed more policemen than under any other IG in the history of the force.
Umaru Yar'adua appointed Mr. Okiro in 2007, after the name of the most senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Ogbonnaya Onovo, had already been announced in the news media as the replacement for the retiring IG, Sunday Ehindero. In an unprecedented move, Okiro's name swiftly replaced that of Onovo.
It turned out that James Ibori, the former governor of Delta State who bankrolled Yar'adua's flawed election, had been instrumental to the decision. Since becoming the IG, Okiro has carried on as if he owes his life to Ibori.
To Yar'adua, Okiro expresses his loyalty in a manner that is unprofessional and unbefitting, according to police officers at Force Headquarters. In March 2008, at a public event in Lagos, he spoke of his readiness to die for Yar'adua. The senior officers said it was the height of embarrassment for the Police force
Okiro's first pronouncement in office was curiously that the 2007 elections were free and fair, even as the tribunals were yet to begin sitting. He then began his stint as an IG started by sending senior police officers to meet with Ibori in the United States while the former was practically a fugitive from the law as he was being sought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). That meeting, which involved Ibori and three Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs), took place in Los Angeles, California.
The three officers were in the U.S. to attend the 114th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference and Exposition taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ibori and Okiro arranged for them to fly out to Los Angeles for the secret meeting with the former governor. Saharareporters reported then that the top police officers were to arrange for Ibori's hassle-free return to Nigeria. He returned to Nigeria, undetected, a week later.
The EFCC later arrested Ibori and began prosecuting him for fraud, abuse of office and corruption. But it was not long after that before the head of the agency, Nuhu Ribadu, was sent on a study leave at the Nigeria Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), terminating his tenure at the EFCC.
The removal of Ribadau was done while Ibori was remanded in prison custody in Kaduna, and the action, Saharareporters vividly reported, was taken at the behest of Ibori.
Our Force Headquarters sources have told us that the appointment of commissioners of police was also done with the influence of Ibori and Bukola Saraki of Kwara State. They spoke of frequent trips by Okiro to the home of Ibori in the Aso Drive area of Abuja.
Furthermore, an officer told our reporters that IG Okiro travels extensively between Ibori's house and Aso Rock presidential villa. The officers individually spoke of how Okiro has created a clique at Headquarters composed of his cronies namely, AIG Isreal Ajao and Yusuf Haruna.
He is also said to have sidelined DIG Hafiz Ringim, and uses Ogbonaya Onovo as a footstool. Okiro once single handedly fired his arch-enemy, DIG Kyierai Dudari, before the Police Service Commission (PSC) recalled him. However, the PSC, after recalling asked that he be retired for committing forgery.
The senior officers have also complained about Okiro’s extensive business interests, which, they say, range from real estate to hotels and educational institutions, and are in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Okiro reportedly runs a protection racket for economic criminals using his office as IG; the officers cited the collusion between Okiro and Kenny Martins, who is currently under prosecution by the EFCC, in the diversion of Police Equipment Funds (PEF), saying it explains why Okiro allowed Martins to defraud the fund despite earlier petitions that flooded the police headquarters about the looting of PEF funds.
Another case creating unease in the Aso Rock Villa is the extensive protection and cover given Timi Alaibe, the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by Okiro. Senior police officers at the force headquarters told Saharareporters that the recent arrest of the NDDC chairman, Sam Edem, was aimed at covering up Mr. Alaibe’s extensive corruption at the NDDC. Another source at the presidential villa told Saharareporters that Okiro nearly cried when Yar’adua requested Mrs. Farida Waziri of the EFCC to take over the NDDC investigations. Okiro begged Yar’adua to allow the police to complete the investigations so as to protect Alaibe from proper investigation for corruption.
Okiro, his wife, his daughter, Yvonne Okiro, as well as his sons are said to be in charge of several businesses to which the IG has diverted huge funds. The officers have promised to supply the details to Saharareporters at the appropriate time.
They also drew attention to the action of Okiro in dispatching a police helicopter to remove Ibori from Kaduna Prison to the National Hospital Abuja. Ibori, who was facing a 103-count charge for fraud and money laundering, had been remanded in Kaduna prison by a judge of the Federal High Court in Kaduna. He was rushed to Abuja in a police helicopter marked 5NSGE, and the officers said it was an aberration to take Ibori to a hospital when he was not under the care of the Nigerian police or any of its affiliates. The senior officers said Okiro did not dispatch a police helicopter to help Haz Iwendi, the commissioner of Police in charge of Kaduna State when he had stroke and later died recently.
The other sins of Okiro was that he has been diverting contracts for the procurement of vehicles, ambulances and Police Housing mostly to a Yar'adua associate referred to as "Ibrahim". The contracts are said to run into millions of dollars.
Okiro's cup may have overflowed before his lieutenants at force Headquarters recently after the much-criticized demotion of 134 police officers in collaboration with the Police Service Commission (PSC). The Chairman of the PSC is Parry B.O Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).
The serving police officers said it was wrong to have made Osayande the chairman of the PSC since he earned his promotion to the position of DIG under a military dictatorship. One of the police officers demoted, Solomon Arase, currently at the Nigeria War College is from the same hometown as Osayande, a Bini man.
One of the police officers told Saharareporters that it was Solomon Arase, while he was the Principal Staff Officer to the former IG Sunday Ehindero, who brought Osayande name to Obasanjo to be appointed as the chairman of the PSC. Other members of the PSC include Hon. Justice Akintola Olufemi Ejiwunmi, Rtd, who died last month.
Also on the Commission is the publisher of the struggling weekly tabloid, The Source, Ms. Comfort Obi, and Dr. Otive Igbuzor, who is representing the Nigerian "civil society". The last two members are Dr. I.I. Idaji and Alhaji Habu Daura.
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