- “Corruption Is Fighting Back,” Says Kano Anti-graft Agency
- ”The Officers Were Withdrawn Because Of A Routine Staff Audit”, Police
By Abiola Olawale
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) are at loggerheads over the recent withdrawal of officers helping the anti-graft agency in investigating the alleged corruption charges leveled against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Ganduje.
The chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado, who addressed a press conference on Friday described the action of the police as an alleged act of corruption fighting back.
According to him, it is worrisome that the Police withdrew its officers particularly when the said policemen working in the Commission exhibited professionalism and did not compromise, especially when investigating high-profile cases.
“If you are fighting corruption you step on toes and you would not be forgiven. So corruption is fighting back.
“From the look of things there are people trying to stop the commission from its work,” Rimin Gado stated.
Rimin Gado noted that he is not the only one taking the heat “as police officers involved in the investigation of high profile cases are also taking the heat”.
He, however, vowed that they will not relent but continue to do the job without compromise.
However, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the return of the policemen to the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.
It would be recalled that the IGP had earlier ordered the withdrawal of all policemen from the commission without stating any reason for doing so.
Some political analysts have opined that the withdrawal of the officers might not be unconnected with the ongoing probe into allegations of multimillion-naira fraud allegations against Ganduje.
However, in a separate statement issued by the Kano Police Command spokesman, Abdullahi Kiyawa, on Friday, the command said the operatives were earlier withdrawn for routine staff audit.
Kiyawa denied speculations that the officers were withdrawn because of Ganduje, adding that the exercise was a result of a series of complaints of highhandedness against the policeman attached to the commission.
The statement read: “Recalled that April 25, 2024, the Kano State Police Command had recalled Police Officers posted to Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, PCACC, with view to conducting staff audit aimed at ascertaining the exact number of police officers seconded to the commission as well as to understand the reporting line and nature of duties each police officer is performing since their initial deployment to the commission in the year 2015.
“The exercise was simply a response to a series of reports received through the command’s complaint response unit, CRU, portraying policemen attached to the Commission as being highhanded and deviating from the expected role of providing static guard and other duties at the Commission.
“For purposes of clarity, members of the public are to note that the object of the ongoing staff audit is basically to address the litany of complaints as reported by sections of the media.
“The action further became imperative, so as to correct the obvious anomalies in the operations of the Commission, as police officers primarily deployed to static guards and other duties were being use to effect arrest and investigations of cases, which clearly is a deviation from their originally assigned mandate of which this position must be corrected.
“In totality, the step is towards ensuring a better and effective service delivery by the policemen devoid of abuse of process in the interest of the people.
“It will be recalled that similar exercises were conducted in the past from the inception of the Commission in the year 2015, and the men were returned after such exercises.
“Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police has approved the immediate return of some police officers, providing guards at the commission’s office, who have gone through the audit process to continue with their duties.
“It is nevertheless the position of the Command that should the Commission require more policemen for other duties than what has been expressly approved by the IGP, the Commission should apply to IGP for approval so that there shall be the deployment of professional personnel such as investigators, prosecutors, and alike be appropriately seconded to it.
“Members of the public are thus enjoined to disregard the current perception being portrayed by a section of the media that aligned the objective to political witch-hunting, as the Police Command will ever remain professional and keep performing its statutory roles of protecting lives and property of all people according to the provisions of the extant laws of the country.”
