BY LINUS CHIBUIKE
THE Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has described a comment credited to Maj. Gen. Garba Wahab (retd), that he has lost control of the Nigerian Police Force, as words spoken out of ignorance.
The IGP insisted that he was in firm control of the Police Force, noting that the retired General’s comments also revealed a jackboot mentality that lacked the proper understanding of democratic policing culture, rooted in the rule of law.
This position was made known in a statement on Tuesday, titled, ‘Workings of the NPF: IGP is in firm control’.
Wahab had said, “The IGP may be sitting in Abuja with the paraphernalia of office, but he has lost the control of the police force,” during a programme on Channels Television.
In reaction, the Police said, “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to comments and reactions during an interview session on Channels TV Sunrise Daily programme of 13th November, 2020 where one Major General Garba Wahab (rtd) commented that ‘the IGP is sitting down there with all the paraphernalia of office deprived of actually having control of police… he is not in control’.
“The Force wishes to categorically state that the Rtd Major General is wrong in his assertion as IGP Adamu is firmly in control of the administration and operation of the Nigeria Police Force.
“It notes that the comments by Rtd Major General Garba Wahab show that he spoke purely out of ignorance and from a jackboot mentality that lacks proper understanding of democratic policing culture, rooted in the Rule of Law.
“It reiterates that the retired Officer clearly spoke on a subject outside his areas of core competence.”
The statement added, “It is noteworthy that since his assumption of office as the 20th indigenous Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni, a global policing icon, has in the past twenty-three months of his leadership of the Force, shown sterling qualities in what the operational/administrative command and control of the Force should be.
“This is exemplified in the various reform policies being implemented to reposition the Force for greater efficiency, uphold the rule of law in policing actions and drive a citizen-centred policing approach.
“It is to the credit of his robust leadership style that even in the face of the recent violence occasioned by the #ENDSARS protest and provocative attacks on Police personnel and assets, the officers under his command exercised maximum restraint and stayed calm, professional and committed to maintaining law and order in the country.”