Ref.:
Intersociety/SE/NG/02/014/FGN/ABJ/FRN
1.His Excellency
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria & Commander-in-Chief of
the Armed Forces
Thro
Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation
The SGF Office, Shehu Shagari Complex
Three Arms Zone, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
2. Senator David Mark, President of the Senate, Federal Republic of
Nigeria
Thro
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs
The Senate Chambers, National Assembly Complex
Three Arms Zones, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
3. Honourable Aminu Tambuwal
Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Thro
The Chairman, House Committee on Police Affairs
The House of Reps Chambers, National Assembly Complex
Three Arms Zone, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
4. Prof. Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem
Executive Chairman, Federal Character Commission
The FCC Headquarters, Plot 64, First Avenue
Off Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama
FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
Sirs,
Unmasking
“Dogari/Dansanda” Policy In The Nigeria Police Force & A Case
Against Sectional Domination In Promotions & Postings Of Key
Officers In The Force (Part Three)
As promised in the first part of this
all-important letter, this is its concluding part (part three). It contains the
names of serving CPs from Southwest, Northeast and South-south zones as well as
the number of serving DCPs, ACPs and CSPs and their geopolitical origins in the
Nigeria Police Force, updated as at 31st day of January, 2014.
CPs From Southwest Zone: The seventeen (17) CPs from Southwest zone are 1. Adeola
Adeleke Adeniji (Ogun State), 2. Adebayo Ajileye (Ondo State), 3. Jubril
Olawale Adeniji (Lagos State), 4. Adenrele Tasheed Shinaba (Lagos State), 5.
James O. Caulcrick (Lagos State), 6. Sherifat A. Disu Olajoku (Lagos State), 7.
Johnson A. Ogunsakin( Ekiti State), 8. Tonye Ebiye Ebitibituwa (Ondo State), 9.
Olufemi A. Adenaike (Ogun State), 10. Olufemi David Ogunbayode (Ogun State),
11. Titilayo Musiliu Busari (Oyo State), 12. Foluso Adebanjo (Lagos State), 13.
Agbola Oshodi-Glover (Lagos State), 14. A.K. Shodipo( Lagos State), 15.Nasiru
Disu Oki (Osun State), 16. Kayode C. Aderanti (Osun State), 17. Adenike
Fehintola Abuwa (medical doctor) (Ekit State).
CPs From Northeast Zone: The thirteen (13) CPs from Northeast zone are 1. Usman Akila
Gwarry (Borno State), 2. Danladi Yilami Mshelbwala (Borno State), 3. Stephen
Audu (Gombe State), 4. Adams Audu( Borno State), 5. Yahaya Garba Ardo (Gombe
State), 6. Irimiya F. Yerima (Taraba State), 7.Idris Faruk Umar (Yobe State),
8. Hyacinth Medugu Dagala (Borno State), 9. Marcus K. Danladi (Gombe State),
10. Mohammed Sani Usman (Bauchi State), 11. Aminchi Samaila Baraya (Taraba
State), 12. Usman Alkali Baba ( Yobe State) and 13. Tijani Baba (Yobe State).
CPs From South-south Zone: The eleven (11) CPs from South-south zone are 1. Ambrose O.
Aisabor (Edo State), 2. Christian Akioja Olakpe ( Delta State), 3. A.J.
Abakasanga (Akwa Ibom State), 4. Benjamin Uche Onwuka (Delta State), 5. Desiye
Desire Nsirim (Bayelsa State), 6. Mbu Joseph Mbu (Cross River State), 7.
Patrick Dey Dokumor ( Bayelsa State), 8. Sontonye Leroy Wakama (Rivers State),
9. Isaac Chinonyerem Eke (Rivers State), 10. Kalafite Helen Adeyemi (Rivers
State) and 11. Victor O.E. Onofiok (Akwa Ibom State).
Serving DCPs, ACPs & CSPs & Their Geopolitical Origins: Out of a total of one hundred &
seventy-two (172) serving Deputy Commissioners of Police in the NPF including
fifteen (15) specialists, Southeast zone has the least number with 20, followed
by Northeast with 25, North-central 29, Northwest 33, Southwest 35 and
South-south 37. And out of 20 serving Southeast DCPs, four will
retire this year (2014), two in 2015 and three in 2016. Out of three hundred
& ninety-eight (398) serving Assistant Commissioners of Police including
fifteen (15) specialists, Southeast zone, again, has the least number with 38,
followed by Northwest with 55, Northeast 55, North-central 85, Southwest 86 and
South-south 88. And out of 38 serving ACPs from Southeast zone, four will
retire this year (2014), one in 2015 and eight in 2016. Out of nine hundred
& six (906) investigated and confirmed serving Chief Superintendents of
Police (CSPs) in the NPF, Northwest zone tops the list with 186, followed by
South-south with 155, North-central 152, Southwest 147, Southeast 142 and
Northeast 122. And out of 142 CSPs from Southeast zone, 12 will retire between
2014 and 2017 and eight between 2018 and 2019.
Apart from gross lopsidedness and sectional domination
of the NPF top promotions being complained of, postings in the Force top field
duties are also faulty and incoherent with the provisions of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, especially her Section 14 (3). For
instance, the 12 zonal commands of the Force are dominated by an
ethno-religious section of the country, particularly by Northwest zone. AIGs
Suleiman A. Abba (Jigawa State, Northwest), heads Zone 7, Abuja, Mamman Ibrahim
Tsafe (Zamfara State, Northwest), heads Zone 2, Lagos, Saliu Argungu Hashimu
(Kebbi State, Northwest), heads Zone 5, Benin, Mohammed Jinjiri Abubakar (Kano
State, Northwest), heads Zone 3, Yola, Tambari Mohammed (Sokoto State, Northwest),
heads Zone 1, Kano, Sule Mamman (Katsina State, Northwest), heads Zone 10,
Sokoto, Mohammed J. Gana (Niger State, North-central), heads Zone 12, Bauchi,
Ballah Magaji Nasarawa (Kebbi State, Northwest), heads Zone 9, Umuahia. All the
above names are Hausa-Fulani Muslims, dominated by Northwest zone. In the
spirit of federal character, equity and fairness, the 12 zonal commands ought
to be occupied by two AIGs from each of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
The assignment of “tea-making” operational duties to senior officers of none
Hausa-Fulani Muslims is a case in point in the posting of AIG Edgar Tam
Nanakumo (Bayelsa State, South-south) as “AIG in-charge of Force Animal
Branch”.
Where It Concerns Mr. President & Commander-In-Chief:
From pieces of incontrovertible evidence provided in this
all-important letter, Sir, a case of grave violation of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the federal character principle has been
established against the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, under IGP
Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar. As Mr. President is aware, Section 14 (3) of the
Constitution under reference forbids and prohibits any form of sectional
domination in the distribution of public posts and socio-economic infrastructures
among various federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The “various
federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” are fairly captured by six
geopolitical zonal arrangements, which Mr. President usually rely on in the
course of any public appointments, be they ministers, heads of parastatals or
service chiefs. Even in the appointment of Police DIGs, a picture of
geopolitical balance is usually painted by the IGP and the PSC.
In view of the foregoing Mr. President, it is a fact to say that
the present leadership of the Nigeria Police Force has positioned the Northwest
geopolitical zone to control and head the Force in the next ten years or more;
a sort of “dogari/dansanda” policy or “Hausa Constabulary” policy of the
pre-independence police policies in Nigeria. It may not be out of place to say
that the next IGP has already been penciled down by M.D. Abubakar NPF
leadership in the person of either DIG Suleiman Dauda Fakai (Kebbi State,
Northwest), with his retirement period stretching up to February 2019 or DIG
Atiku Kafur (Katsina State, Northwest) with retirement period of February 2017.
Similar situation may be applicable in those in the position of AIG, in case
the next IGP is to be picked from their ranks as was the case with the present
IGP, Mr. M.D. Abubakar in January 2012. Among the 11 serving AIGs retained by
the Northwest zone, seven of them will retire between 2017 and 2019; this makes
each of them an IGP material. Similar situation is found among 21 serving CPs
retained by the zone under reference.
In view of the foregoing Mr. President, we demand for your
immediate intervention and ordering of full scale and conclusive investigation
into the promotion and posting policy of the present Nigeria Police Force. As
Mr. President may be aware, the Police Service Commission now operates the
opposite side of the law establishing it including Section 153 and
Supplementary Sections 29 & 30 of Part 1 of Third Schedule to the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended in 2011. For
instance, Supp. Section 30 says: “The Police Service Commission shall have
power to appoint persons to offices in the Nigeria Police Force other than that
of the IGP and dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding
such offices”. Sadly, the PSC now functions as “a stamping commission”, by
stamping whatever names sent across to it by the IGP, no matter how lopsided or
sectionalized they appear.
It is impeachable for the Northwest zone that produces the present
IGP to also take two serving DIGs and 11, out of 21 serving AIGs, leaving
North-central with 5, South-south with 2, Southwest with 2, Northeast with only
1 and Southeast with nothing. Other areas where there are strong accusations of
sectional domination particularly by Northwest and to an extent, by
North-central and Northeast Muslim officers at the alleged instance of IGP are
those manning strategic NPF field formations like Special Protection Units
(SPUs), Mobile Squadrons (MSQs), Federal & State SARS, Area Commands, State
Criminal Investigation Departments (SCIDs), Anti-Terrorism Squads (ATSs) and
Divisional Police Stations (DPSs/DPOs). Your Excellency’s investigation should
be extended to such areas.
On account of our demand for Mr. President’s full scale investigation,
it is our further demand that a thorough shake up should be carried out in the
NPF command hierarchy, which will include mass retirement of all serving DIGs
and AIGs so as not only to pave way for injection of new blood in the NPF
command hierarchy, but also to put in place geopolitically oriented policy for
future promotions and postings. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
and Chairman of the Nigeria Police Council, both law and convention are at Your
Excellency’s beck and call to sanitize and reposition the NPF. Our firm
position remains that no geopolitical zone including Southeast zone should be
allowed to sectionalize or dominate federal public posts and infrastructures,
at the expense of other federating partners of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Where It Concerns The National Assembly Leaderships:
The President of the Senate and the House Speaker are called upon
to direct their standing committees’ chairmen on police affairs to carry out
thorough and conclusive investigations to ascertain the pattern of promotions
and postings in the NPF and summon the IGP to appear before their chambers with
documentary details of his “recommendations for promotion” policy in the NPF
and defend its conformity or otherwise with the provisions of the Constitution
including Section 14(3). The IGP should also be mandated by the National
Assembly to be attending his NPF budget defense; be it substantive or
supplementary, with written details of all officers promoted or recommended for
promotion, which must include their geopolitical zonal origins; failure of
which should attract standing down his request for approval of the NPF budget
until full compliance is made.
Where It Concerns The Chairman Of The Federal Character
Commission:
As the Executive Chairman of the FCC, the FCC
Establishment Act of 1996 enjoins your Commission to “implement and
enforce federal character principle of fairness and equity in the distribution
of public posts and socio-economic infrastructures among various federating
units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. As a result, we demand your Commission’s
immediate investigation into the impeachable lopsidedness in the promotions and
postings of senior members of the Nigeria Police Force with a view to enforcing
equity and fairness in the exercise. Your Commission’s investigation will
answer the question as in: whether federal character principle, equity and
fairness were met in allowing Northwest geopolitical zone to produce the
present IGP, two, out of seven serving DIGs, eleven out of 21 serving AIGs,
twenty-one, out of 88 serving CPs, 186, out of 906 serving CSPs and manning of
eight, out of 12 zonal commands, manned by AIGs, etc as well as domination of
other strategic operational postings in the Force.
Your Commission should also extend its investigation into other
areas where there are strong accusations of sectional domination particularly
by Northwest and to an extent, by North-central and Northeast Muslim
officers. Specifically, duty postings made with respect to those
manning the command cadres of strategic NPF field formations like Special
Protection Units (SPUs), Mobile Squadrons (MSQs), Federal & State SARS,
Area Commands, State Criminal Investigation Departments (SCIDs), Anti-Terrorism
Squads (ATSs) and Divisional Police Stations (DPSs/DPOs) should be thoroughly
and conclusively investigated to ensure their coherence at all times with
federal character principle, equity and fairness.
It is our hope that this letter in its completeness will be
expeditiously looked into and issues of extreme importance raised therein
addressed frontally.
Yours Faithfully,
For: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of
Law-Intersociety
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman of the Board
+234(0)8033601078, +234(0)8180103912
Comrade Justus Uche Ijeoma, Head, Publicity Desk
+234(0)8037114869
CC:
1. The Inspector
General of Police, Force Headquarters, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
2. Chairman, Police
Service Commission, the PSC Headquarters, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
3. Chairman of
Southeast Governors’ Forum & Governor of Anambra State, Awka, Nigeria
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please restrict your comment to the subject matter.