The Senate on Wednesday threatened to issue an arrest warrant against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris if he fails to appear before its ad-hoc committee investigating allegations of abuse of office against him.
Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Senator Francis Alimikhena, gave the threat after waiting endlessly for the IGP for a scheduled investigative hearing in the Senate.
The Edo North Senator told reporters that the IGP was summoned on October 16th, 2017 to appear before the panel to respond to allegations made against him by Senator Isah Hamman Misau.
The panellists expressed dissatisfaction that the IGP failed to appear before the panel.
Alimikhena noted that instead of appearing before the panel the IGP, through his lawyer, Alex Iziyon, wrote to the committee informing it that the matter was already in court.
He said that the letter expressly stated that IGP will not appear before the panel because the matter for which he was invited was before the court.
Alimikhena who appeared to have been angered by the letter, thundered nobody, including court, can stop the Senate from carrying out its constitutional duties.
The lawmaker who is also Senate Deputy Chief Whip noted that the separation of powers guaranteed by law made it explicit that the Senate cannot be prevented in carrying out its constitutional duties by any other arm of government.
He threatened that if the IGP fails to appear on November 7th, 2017, the committee would invoke Section 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to compel him to appear.
Alimikhena who quoted copiously Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, insisted that the IGP โwill be summoned again and must appear next Tuesday, 7th of November.
Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which the committee is relying on to issue a warrant of arrest on the IGP, reads: โFor 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
โRequire such evidence to be given on oath; summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence at any place or produce any document or other thing in his possession or under his control, and examine him as a witness and require him to produce any document or other thing in his possession or under his control, subject to all just exceptions.
โIssue 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.
โA 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.โ
Alimikhena said: โWe 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 sub-judiced.
โIt 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 a separation of powers. No court can stop us.
โWe 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.โ
Misau,(Bauchi central) had while testifying before the probe panel, claimed that the IGP purchased two jeeps for the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari.
He also alleged that the IGP misused over N120 billion generated by the Force in one year.
Misau further alleged that the police boss impregnated a serving police officer and hurriedly arranged a marriage ceremony in Kaduna.
The Police boss, through the Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, dismissed the claims as unfounded and smear campaign against the IGP.
The police spokesman asked Nigerians to disregard the allegations against the IGP
In like manner, Mrs. Buhari also denied the purchase of cars for her by the IGP.
