By ‘Dotun Akintomide
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday expressed shock over the violation of presidential order he issued Inspector-general of Police, Idris Ibrahim to relocate to Benue state, following the killings of 73 villagers by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Makurdi, the President said the IGP has some queries to answer for violating his order.
The killings happened on New Year’s Day and amidst national outrage Buhari on 9 January, ordered Idris to relocate to Benue state.
On Monday, Buhari was told by Governor Ortom that Idris did not spend 24 hours in the state, as he moved to neighbouring Nasarawa state, thus violating President Buhari’s order.
President Buhari was surprised that Idris breached his order.
He said he would ask Idris to explain why he observed the order in the breach, on his return to Abuja.
“What I did was to call him and give him (a) directive. And I didn’t know he moved here (Benue State) and didn’t spend (time) and then move to Nasarawa. It’s only now that I am knowing that. But I know I dispatched him here,” the President said.
“At every level, you have to be loyal to people below you. Whether that person is loyal to you or not is totally a different thing,” President Buhari said.
“The easiest thing for me was to go on air and accuse the IGP of being too slow and not using the intelligence and resources available to him to foresee the action of the cattle rearers and so on. People would believe me, but I will be disloyal if I do that.”
