In the wake of the grisly pogrom that happened in Benue, the President, as the Commander-in-Chief (CinC), ordered the IG to relocate to Benue, the scene of the butchery, to ensure law and order in the land. The presidential order was flagrantly flouted and, on top of that, Jimoh Moshood, his mouthpiece, resorted to name-calling. Moshood called the distressed Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, “a drowning man”.
Life, they say, comes in phases. The truth in this age-long aphorism must have dawned on Ibrahim Kpotun Idris (pictured left), the 19th indigenous Inspector General Of Police, who joined President Muhammadu Buhari in drawing the curtain on his tenure of Tuesday by decorating Abubakar Adamu as the next IGP.
There had been speculations before Tuesday that the former Inspector General’s (IGP) tenure might be extended. However, contrary to most people’s expectations, the President announced the name of a fellow northerner to take over from Idris. [story_link align="left"]66264[/story_link]
With the era of IGP Idris now over, here are seven of the many things he will be remembered for.
Controversial Appointment Over His Superiors
Until 2015 Ibrahim was just a Commissioner of Police with many senior police officers many rungs over him on the ladder of the police profession. However, on assumption of office by the incumbent president in 2015, Idris's promotion was fast-tracked and he leap-frogged many senior officers. He was first promoted after the elections to Assistant Inspector General (AIG) and a couple of months later, he was named the acting Inspector General of Police to take over from Solomon Arase, his predecessor in office. Many people still believe his promotion was a reward for the role he played when he supervised the security apparatus in charge of the controversial Kano election in 2015. It will be recalled that Buhari polled almost two million votes in Kano.
Refusal To Relocate To Benue
In the wake of the grisly pogrom that happened in Benue, the President, as the Commander-in-Chief (CinC), ordered the IG to relocate to Benue, the scene of the butchery, to ensure law and order in the land. The presidential order was flagrantly flouted and, on top of that, Jimoh Moshood, his mouthpiece, resorted to name-calling. Moshood called the distressed Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, “a drowning man”.
Insubordination To Osinbajo
While Buhari was on medical vacation, the IG treated Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Acting President, as though he was one of his subordinates. He reportedly, unilaterally, withdrew Osinbajo’s police aide-de-camp without first informing him or seeking his consent.
Donation Of SUVs To Aisha Buhari And NIPSS
In a swift attempt to redeem himself and curry favour with the President who was angry with the way he treated his second-in–command when he was away in the UK for medical treatment, Idris bought four Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs). He donated two of these vehicles to the First Lady and the other two to the National Institute Of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State. He later debunked the claim that he bought the vehicles for the First Lady by saying the vehicles were for the First Lady’s police security aides and not the President's wife herself.
Isah Misau's Allegations
Nobody gave the former IG more troubles than the senator representing Bauchi Central senatorial zone, Isah Misau. A former police officer himself, Misau exposed all manner of corrupt practices being allegedly perpetrated by the IGP. Chief among the allegations of corruption levelled at the IGP was his failure to account for over N10billion he earned monthly from special security postings of over 100,000 policemen assigned to individuals and corporate bodies. The senator also accused the IGP of having improper sexual relationships with junior female police officers. In fact, he claimed he secretly married one these junior female police officers, impregnated her and unethically promoted the woman from the rank of Sergeant to an Assistant Superintendent of Police within 12 months as an undeserved reward for the sexual affair.
The Senate Snub
Three times he was invited by the Senate and the same number of times he spurned their invitation. He was invited to come and explain the arrest of one of the lawmakers and the reign of lawlessness across the country, but the chief police officer could not just be too condescending to honour the Senate’s invitation. Once, he sent his deputy to the senators, but they refused to grant him audience.
'Transmission Transmission'
Perhaps, the legacy of the ex-chief police officer that will stand the test of time and even be recounted to posterity is the video of him struggling to read a speech and constantly repeating “I mean transmission... transmission transmission..." The faux pas would later earn the IGP the sobriquet “Mr Transmission”. Though some ascribed the gaffe to dyslexia, the event will occupy pride of place in the list of legacies bequeathed by the former Inspector General of Police to Nigerians. This is because the hopeless struggle and the helplessness evinced in the video that went viral will forever be etched in the memories of many Nigerians.