IGP: I have no guesthouse in Adeniji Adele in Lagos State

IGP has no guesthouse in Adeniji Adele in Lagos State…

The attention of the Nigerian Police Force has been drawn to a publication on Page 27 of Sunday Tribune Newspaper of today, 9th December 2018 captioned “Murderers in IGP’s guesthouse” credited to one Lanre Adewole, Lagos Bureau Chief of Nigerian Tribune.

The Nigeria Police Force after a careful study of the story categorically wishes to state that the story in its entirety is misleading, a clear misrepresentation of facts, riddled with unverified accounts and absolute distortion to cast aspersions on the arrest, investigation and the on-going prosecution of kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, to pervert the end of justice.

The Nigeria Police Force is conversant and mindful of contempt of Court in commenting on cases already before the Court of competent jurisdiction, which should also be the case with all stakeholders in the criminal justice system and the media, however, the Force is constrained and compelled to respond, to disabuse the minds of the members of the public who must have read the misleading story aimed at raising public sentiments and supporting favour of Kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans against the State.

The Force will also not join issues with the writer on legal luminary and other very important personality (late) mentioned by the writer in the story. However, it is untrue that people were prevented from having access to Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans while in Police custody. He was paraded along with his gang members before the public and the media in the premises of the Lagos State Police Command a day after he was arrested in Lagos.  

The story is evidently the characteristic mindset and pattern of the writer to deride and castigate public institutions, such as the Nigeria Police Force in the handling of vicious and notorious criminals such as kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans and many others that have been successfully prosecuted and convictions earned.

It is incumbent on the Force to educate the writer and set the record straight that from the first paragraph, the writer was deeply inapparent ignorance and refused for the best reasons known to him to verify the story before going to press.  The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, does not have any guesthouse on Adeniji Adele in Lagos, and from records of the Force, there was no time that any Inspector General of Police in the past or present used any guesthouse on Adeniji Adele in Lagos. The reference to the backyard of IGP’srelaxation arena in Adeniji Adele clearly indicates that the entire story was unverified, based on hearsay and a beer parlour gossip orchestrated to promote criminalities and support kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans to jeopardize justice. This should be condemned by all.

It is also imperative to state that the Nigeria Police Force and its officers are committed to upholding the fundamental Human Rights of every Nigerian as enshrined in chapter 4 of the Nigerian Constitution and also in accordance to Africa Charter of Rights and UN Declaration of Human Rights. The handling of suspects in Police detentions are in line with International best practices in crime prevention and criminal investigation.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Force does not tolerate or condone torture in any form or extrajudicial killings. The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, upon assumption of office, conducted an audit of SARS rules of engagement and in a follow up set out and reorganised the squad into Federal Special Anti-RobberySquad (FSARS) removing it from the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department to now operate under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations.

The writer referring to ’’SARS, Kyari and his lieutenants have a history and reputation that match Chukwudumeme accounts of how suspects were “traveled” (police code for extra-judicial murder) at the IGP’s Lagosguesthouse’’ is untrue, imaginary and a disservice to the Nigeria Police Force,and an attempt to obliterate the high level of integrity and sterling achievements recorded by DCP Abba Kyari and his Team in crime prevention and control across the Country. The word “travelled” alleged by the writer to be the police code for extra-judicial murder is unknown to the Force and a complete fallacy.

The Nigeria Police Force has in place functional and pragmatic disciplinary measures against erring officers and men and has dismissed and charged to court Police Officers involved in proven cases of violations of rights of suspects in detention. Facts are available for verification.

The Force sees the publication as criminal defamatory and unacceptable. The writer definitely has an ulterior intention to deliberately without facts disparage and ridicule the leadership of the Force, as all allegations in the story are without proof and an outright falsity.

Members of the public are hereby enjoined to disregard and discountenance the story in its entirety as unfounded, misleading and a misinformation.

The Police will continue to partner with the Media in ensuring that rule of law prevails in all circumstances, and that justice is not delayed or denied, however, the Media is implored not to allow the pages of their very esteemed newspapers to be used by mischievous person(s) to misinform and mislead the Public on a matter already in Court or cast aspersions on the hard earned integrity of the leadership of the Force.