Restore Willie Obiano’s security aides immediately, Senate tells IGP

The Nigerian Senate has urged the inspector general of Police, Ibrahim Idris to immediately return the security aides of the Anambra state governor, Willie Obiano.

The Senate’s decision was sequel to a point of order raised by Senator Emmanuel Bwacha at plenary on Wednesday, November, 2017.

The IGP saidthe Police authority withdrew Obiano's security personnel due to the forthcoming governorship election in the state and prevent the re-occurrence of past experience.

According to him, the military had in the past caught an ADC to an unnamed governor escorting a vehicle loaded with arms on election day.

His words: "We do not mean anything bad to Anambra governor on this action; his ADC will be returned to him early Sunday morning after the governorship election on Saturday Nov.18.

"We have equally withdrawn all the policemen attached to political appointees, Local Government Chairmen and others in Anambra till after the election," he added.

But Senate faulted the IPG’s claims.

In her contribution, Senator Biodun Olujimi said if the Anambra situation was not checked, the president and Senate president may lose their aides in 2019.

“With the way things are going this democracy would be catapult and this nation can become a banana nation,” She began.

“It is the role of the IG in taking over the aides of a sitting governor, it means that even the senate president would lose all his aide because of one man.

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“The IG is looking for everything in the book to substantiate that he withdrew the security aides from a sitting governor to provide a level playing field. I want to say this is becoming and a very bad thing for our democracy.

“As a sitting governor, every governor regardless of their political party are entitled to security. It is unimaginable for the IGP to say because he wants to provide a level playing field because there is an election; he would now withdraw his aides so that he can go without the retinue of aides.

“2019 is close by. We are approaching election, this is an ominous stand of what is to come after now it means that in 2019 that most people including the senate president, and the speaker of the house of representatives including the president of the nation would have all their aides withdrawn and very one would open to the vagaries of whatever happens to them.

“The IGP has messed it up right. We need to tell him he has not done well. The aides must be returned to the governor. The aides must be returned. Nothing like this should never happen again,” the Ekiti lawmaker added.

Similarly, Senate leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan said the Obiano’s aides should be restored "so it does not become a trend."

In his remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki said: “What is wrong is wrong and should not be misinterpreted that whatever actions of the IG of the police was a directive of the government. The IG needs to do the right thing to protect this democracy.”

The Senate further directed its committee on the police affair committee to ensure the restoration of the governor’s aides and report back to the senate on Thursday, November 16, 2017.