THE Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris has resolved to challenge the declaration of the Senate wherein he was declared unfit to hold public office.

Mr Idris’ position was made known by the commissioner of Police (Legal), Force Headquarters, Mr. David Igbodo, on Thursday while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

The police boss and the National Assembly have not been on the same page since the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye over offences bordering on alleged murder and unlawful possession of firearms among several others.

The Senate has summoned Mr Idris to appear before it for three consecutive times. He refused to honour the invitations.



His defiance led to him been declared unfit to hold public office.

“That declaration, we are going to challenge it (in court),” he said. “We want the court to interpret whether each time the IGP is invited to appear before the National Assembly (NASS), whether he must, as a matter of fact, appear in person.”

Defending his principal, Igbodo explained that the IGP acted in accordance with the law by delegating the DIG to represent him in an official capacity.

“Official functions of the IGP can be performed by the DIG or the Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs). So why are they insisting that it must be the IGP to appear in person?

“What is personal about it? The facts are known to the DIG (Operations). The facts are known to all the DIGs. They are expected to brief the NASS, why are they making it personal?”



Igbodo further accused the lawmakers of making the issue personal, wondering why the police chief cannot assign another senior officer on official assignments.

The police had earlier absolved the IGP of blames, stressing that he is not an enemy of democracy as declared by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.

Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, had in a statement on Wednesday said the police is rather the first defender of democracy in Nigeria.

He said, “It is important to correct the impression created in the minds of the people from the Senate’s resolution that the IGP is not and will not be an enemy to democracy.”