The inspector-general of police, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday denied that he gave instructions that the meeting of G7 governors in Asokoro be disrupted by men of the Nigeria Police.

Abubakar however added, when he appeared before the House Committee on Police Affairs, that every state commissioner is responsible for happenings within his domain.

The IGP said, “I want to say, before I comment on that particular incident: there is nowhere, there is no time an instruction was given to any particular police officer, to disrupt a meeting of any particular organisation that is lawful.

“Neither myself nor through any of my aides have I directed any police officer to disrupt any meeting. “
“Remember as a police force, in every police force, there are certain responsibilities, the commissioner of police of a state has responsibilities of that particular state; so is the commissioner of FCT.”

He informed the committee that the divisional police officer (DPO) who allegedly disrupted the meeting could not have done so with any other intention than to provide security in the area.

“Anything that happens in FCT, the commissioner will be asked to explain why it happened, be it robbery, be it kidnapping, be it any act of illegality, and the point in question, where this meeting took place is a very key area for the police because most of these areas we do know that there are liaison offices for state governors. We are aware of the fact that they require high level of security to maintain that place, and I believe, without any contradiction, the DPO was not sent by anybody to do what he did. I believe the DPO was merely there to provide safety and security for whatever is taking place. “

The House had, on November 5, summoned the IGP “to ascertain the circumstances leading to the invasion of the Kano Governor’s Lodge by the men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force under the command of a divisional police officer (DPO) and report back to the House within two weeks” after approving a motion sponsored by Hon. Idris Mohammed Sani Kutigi (PDP, Niger) along with 60 others. The lawmakers had noted “with concern the action of the Nigeria Police Force, which violated the provision of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), specifically sections 40 and 308(1) (a) and (3).”

The DPO of Asokoro division, CSP Nnanna Amah, had led scores of policemen to disrupt a meeting of the G-7 governors at the Kano Governor’s Lodge in the Asokoro district of Abuja where five of the G-7 governors — Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Muazu Babangida Aliyu (Niger) — and the leadership of the new PDP were in a closed-door session. Apart from the governors, others at the meeting were chairman of the nPDP Alhaji Kawu Baraje, secretary Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alhalji Kashim Imam, senators Aisha Alassan, Danjuma Goje, Abdullahi Adamu, Bukola Saraki, former governor of Bayelsa State Chief Timipre Sylva, Sam Sam Jaja, former governor of Ekiti Segun Oni and the national vice-chairman of the PDP (northwest), Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure.


http://247nigerianewsupdate.com/i-did-not-order-dpo-to-disrupt-g-7-govs-meeting-igp/

If he did, will he admit it?