The Nigerian Police has withdrawn the excess security escorts atta-ched to former Presi-dent Olusegun Obasanjo, in line with the directives of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approving the withdrawal of police orderlies attached to certain categories of people.
It is also believed that former President Mohammed Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and Yakubu Gowon, former state governors and several other high profile former political office holders have also been affected by yesterday’s directive by the police authorities.
Force Public Relations OffIcer (FPRO), Emmanuel Ojukwu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), who spoke on the phone with THISDAY last night confirmed that the withdrawal of excess security aides affected all former presidents, vice presidents, heads of state, their deputies, governors and all others “who are found to have more than the number of aides they are supposed to have.”
However, it is expected that Obasanjo as a retired four-star general will still retain his army orderlies as is the tradition in the military. The same will be applicable to Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdusalam Abubakar and Gowon.
The disclosure puts to rest the complaints by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar Thursday that the withdrawal of his excess police security escorts was politically motivated.
Ojukwu, who for security reasons was not ready to disclose the number of police security detail that have been recalled from former public office holders, said the police had discovered that many of the former officials had in excess of what they were supposed to have.
He debunked insinuations making the rounds that Atiku was singled out, stating that the policy affected all serving and former public officer holders found to have an excess number of aides.
Atiku, he said, still has some police escorts attached to him in spite of the so-called withdrawals.
According to him, the police high command had discovered that many of such officers have a large retinue of aides and “they are used for all manner of activities outside security duties.”
He insisted that the action was not politically motivated and that the police high command was acting in the best interest of the nation.
Media aides of the former vice president last night confirmed that two police escorts have been seconded to Atiku’s house in Yola.
A massive outcry had greeted the withdrawal of police security detail assigned to Atiku, with insinuations that they were withdrawn on the orders of President Umaru Yar' Adua “because of Atiku’s criticisms of Yar’Adua’s government and policies as well as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.”
Atiku’s spokesman, Garba Shehu accused Yar’Adua of complicity in the withdrawal.
Shehu said Yar’Adua stripped the former vice-president of his security orderlies “without the courtesy of notifying him.”
He stated in a press statement two days ago that the president’s action came barely 72 hours after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) launched a vitriolic attack on Atiku’s person and character.
“When the withdrawal order came at about 4pm on Wednesday, the former vice-president enquired at the Force Headquarters and was told that this was a directive by the presidency following the decision by the Federal Executive Council.
“After leaving office, the presidency had requested the former vice-president to submit his security requirements, which he did and were promptly approved,” Shehu said.
But the presidency denied that Yar’Adua was involved in anyway in the withdrawal of the former VP’s escorts, dismissing the matter as politics being played by Atiku’s media men.
FEC had at a meeting last month released a list of public officials that would be entitled to police escorts in the country.
Under the new dispensation those still entitled to escorts include the president, vice president, chief justice of the federation, state governors, deputy governors, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, president of the Court of Appeal, Head of Service of the Federation and ministers.
Others include the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker of the House of Represen-tatives and Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=140564

Hopefully the Nigerian Armed Robbers Coalition ( NARC ) are taking note of this new opportunity to acquire their "Dividends of Democracy" from professional treasury looters such as Obasanjo, now that those fat cats are exposed and vulnerable.

One can only pray that the invaders remember to complete the job with extreme prejudice, as soon as the cash is handed over, to ensure that none of those donors ever live to get recycled back into government.