Inspector general of police decorates new commissioner charged with extra-judicial killing

INSPECTOR-general of police Ibrahim Idris has courted controversy by publicly decorating Ibrahim Danjuma with his new rank of Commissioner of Police despite being the subject of a controversial extra-judicial killing.

Mr Danjuma had been prosecuted and acquitted for the extra-judicial killing of five Abuja traders and a lady in 2005 and although found innocent, he is still the subject of a lot of controversy. Recently, Mr Danjuma was among 15 new police commissioners promoted by the Police Service Commission on the recommendation of the inspector-general of police.

He had been suspended from duty on account of the alleged extra-judicial killings and was subsequently charged to court alongside Othman Abdulsalam, Nicholas Zakaria, Baba Emmanuel, Ezekiel Acheneje and Sadiq Salami as co-defendants for felony. However, the trial judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, found Mr Danjuma not guilty and accordingly discharged and acquitted him. while Emmanuel and Acheneje were sentenced to death.

Meanwhile, Mr Idris has warned police officers to avoid temptations from political actors as the 2019 elections draw near. Describing the election year as critical, the police chief urged police personnel to be professional and steadfast.

Mr Idris said: “Officers should be aware that from next year, we are entering a critical phase in the political space of this country and this critical phase includes most of the elections that would be conducted. Officers should be steadfast and obviously do their best to ensure that wherever you find yourselves, that you do your utmost best to ensure that the political situation is handled maturely and orderly.”

Reacting to allegations of disobedience of court orders in respect of the unsealing of the Peace Corps headquarters, Mr Idris said the force had appealed the court order, adding that it had asked the court to stay execution of the judgment on the matter. Commenting on the re-organisation of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, he stated that the unit would now focus on violent crimes.