HURIWA urges President Tinubu to Sanction IGP, CPs for circulating alleged falsehood 

Emmanuel Onwubiko 

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs to demonstrate that he is a capable leader by sanctioning his security officials who allegedly engages in spreading deliberate falsehoods to hoodwink and deceive unsuspecting members of the public on their achievements in tackling insecurity or even mere administrative issues like promotions of police officers.

“A nation whose political leadership accepts to live with the spreading if blatant lies by security operatives and their Commanders is a nation that has not only failed but is an active crime scene.”

HURIWA accused the police’s high command of telling lies about the recent promotions of some few dozens officers in which the office of the Inspector-General of Police brazenly spread the falsehood that the promotions were done by the Police Service commission whereas as we write there is no validly recognised governing body of the police service commission because only two persons are on the board with over 98 percent of the entire members that have already served out their tenures but yet in the media statement, the police lied that police service commission actually did the promotions and it remains an unmitigated lie since police service commission has no constitutional quorum of members of the council to so authorise police promotions. For now, only Solomon Arase the newly inaugurated chairman of PSC and the representative of the South East Chief Onyemobi Nnamami are valid members of PSC whose tenures haven’t expired.”

In Imo State, the police have been caught lying blatantly regarding a recent high profile kidnapping of a very highly respected traditional ruler, Eze Samuel Ohiri, former chairman of the council of traditional rulers in Imo state, who says the police did not secure his freedom from kidnappers.

The monarch was kidnapped from his residence on June 6 in Orodo Mbaitoli LGA of Imo. He was released after 13 days in captivity.

HURIWA lamented that the Imo police command lied shamelessly by saying it secured Ohiri’s freedom in collaboration with other security agencies when as we now have heard from the horses mouth, the police knew next to nothing about the release of this first class traditional ruler who has the courage to tell the truth and damn the consequences.

Speaking with journalists on Friday, the monarch said he was released after ransom was paid.

Hear him: “Contrary to what the police said about my release, there is no hiding the fact that the state police never played any role,” he said. “I actually do not want to speak on this but I am doing it just to set the records straight. I am not disputing the fact that the police may have made efforts towards my release but I am talking what I know.
It was my relationship with God and the help from my family people that made it possible. Although, that was after we paid ransom.”

Recounting his experience, Ohiri said he “saw hell” in captivity. I came back home to celebrate Christmas and New Year with my people in Obi-Orodo. Then on the 6th of January, I decided to visit one of my old boys and senior students of Emmanuel College Secondary School in those days,” he said.

“But when I was coming back after visiting my friend around 8:30 pm, I met able-bodied men in front of my palace gate who came in their vehicle.

“They double-crossed me and forced me into their vehicle. My cousin’s brother smartly introduced himself as my driver and they set him free. They now blindfolded me and zoomed off to an unknown destination.

“I was first kept in an uncompleted building before I was transferred to another location. Within the twelve days I spent in their den, I saw hell.

“It looked so much as if they had some scores to settle with the traditional rulers and politicians, but luckily for me, their leader came out and ordered them not to torture me, that I am a decent man.

“Negotiations began between my people and the kidnappers which eventually resulted in setting me free after we paid the first and second ransom.

“They later took me and another victim to Eziama Obiato, a community in Mbaitoli LGA, along Owerri-Onitsha expressway, at night after I spent twelve days in their dungeon.

“And from there I found my way back to Owerri at Asumpta Cathedral roundabout where my people came and conveyed me back to my palace.”

He said the kidnappers did not conceal their bitterness against traditional rulers and politicians.

“I appeal to all Ezes of Imo and south-east at large not to deviate from the traditional norms and values of Ndigbo as custodians of the tradition,” he added.

HURIWA said the immediate implication of permitting top police officers to twists information on national security and present blatant lies as the correct information is that increasingly, the people would not trust the police anymore and then there wouldn’t be any opportunity of citizens rendering the national service of human intelligence and volunteering information that could help to unravel crimes and this is dangerous for national security of Nigeria.

Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko is the National Coordinator of the Human _№ Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Abuja