Nigeria: Police hit back over chief refusing summons

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Nigeria’s police on Thursday hit back at what it called “mischievous blackmail” by the parliament, escalating a war of words between the country's senate and police chief Ibrahim Idris.

Parliament on Wednesday called Idris a threat to democracy and unfit to hold public office after he repeatedly refused summons to testify over killings in parts of the country as well as the police filing criminal charges against a controversial senator, Dino Melaye.

But police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said in a statement that the chief was unable to appear before the Senate as he was on another assignment but delegated senior officers to honor the summons in line with the law. The Senate turned Idris’ lieutenants aside.

Moshood added that Idris refused a summons on Melaye because the matter was already going through the courts.

He called the Senate action against Idris “deliberate blackmail, witch-hunting with mischievous motives to hand-twist the IGP [inspector general police] to pervert the end of justice in the felonious and serious offenses of Criminal Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms” of Melaye, whose fugitive exploits have made headlines in recent weeks.

“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.”