How low can the Nigeria police really go?

Misau said the N10B accrued from payments for special security services rendered by the police to private citizens and corporate organisations like oil companies.

Senator Misau (Bauchi State) is a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) whose last posting was in Niger State in 2010.

Misau chairs the Senate committee on Navy and his allegations against the police hierarchy stemmed from the oversight responsibilities lawmakers are constitutionally saddled with.

Embarrassed and miffed, the police went after Misau in rather predictable fashion: the senator was accused of deserting the police some seven years ago and pronto, the police opened an investigation into how Misau retired from the force.

Forged letter

The police said Misau’s retirement letter from the police is a fake.

“The retirement letter presented to journalists by DSP Mohammed Hamman is suspiciously forged and dubiously obtained”, said police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood. “The letter which was dated March 5, 2014, a period of more than four years after AP N0 57300 DSP Mohammed Isa Hamman (Senator Isah Hamman Misau) deserted the Force is now being investigated by the Force".

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According to the police, Misau’s name is still on the police payroll. The police allege that Misau ran away from the Police Force to avoid disciplinary proceedings which had been instituted against him.

Moshood also told the world that other security agencies have been invited to go after the senator as well.

Here’s Moshood again: “an official with pending disciplinary issues is not allowed to retire or leave the force until his case has been resolved.”

The police say Misau’s case file is before the Force Disciplinary Committee—an indication, according to the police, that the retirement letter the lawmaker has been flaunting, is a forgery.

“His case file is still marked Pending Disciplinary Matter, meaning he would not be allowed to retire until the case against him has been resolved”, said Moshood.

Indian hemp specialist

The police also say Misau finds solace in Indian hemp joints.

“These allegations from a dubious and fraudulent deserter Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) are ridiculous, baseless and a beer parlour gossip which can only be from someone of unsound mind, unrepentant and habitual liar who patronises Indian hemp joints.

“DSP Mohammed Isa Hamman got the suspected forged retirement letter in 2014 but he contested the Bauchi Central Senatorial Election in 2011 general elections under Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at that time he was a Deputy Superintendent of Police and a deserter of the Force. This is a clear element and criminal liability of fraud and impersonation, because under the law, you cannot be a Police Officer and still stand for election".

Why did it take the police seven years to realise that Misau is a police deserter who gamed the system?

Would Misau’s case file have been reopened if he didn’t accuse the police boss of corruption?

Most likely not.

Blackmail

This has cheap blackmail and vendetta written all over it.

That the police is only going after the senator following an allegation to one of its own by the same senator, is really embarrassing but not surprising. After all, this is the same Police Force whose members pump bullets into defenseless citizens who refuse to part with bribes at road checkpoints.

Misau may be guilty of deserting the Police Force. That is beside the point now. If he is serving in the senate illegally, how come we are only getting to know about it after he accused IGP Idris of corruption?

The police is no one’s friend, really, forget that cliché to the contrary.

I drive home to work daily knowing that I’d be stopped at several checkpoints by police officers pleading for ‘Egunje’ (bribe) for no offence other than that I’m heading home after a tiring day at work.

The police also protects the rich to the detriment of the poor. They carry bags for the wealthy and government officials; while the rest of the citizenry remains painfully under-policed.

Here’s the thing—we shouldn’t sweep Misau’s N10B allegation under a rug because the police has come out on the defensive. We can actually investigate that allegation while also proceeding apace with whether the senator is a deserter or not. It’s called multi-tasking.

With this incident, the police has again proven how shameless it is as a law enforcement unit.

How low can the Nigeria police really go?