IG summons 300 policemen attached to EFCC - Yar’Adua okays Ribadu’s course

From Chris Agbambu and Dotun Oladipo - 03.01.2008

THE Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, has summoned the over 300 policemen attached to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to a meeting at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The meeting, slated for today (Thursday) with all the policemen who form about 85 per cent of the workforce of the crime commission, is to assure them that their career is safe.

A highly informed police source disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune that the IGP would address the officers on the recent developments in the commission.

The source added that Mr. Okiro would also explain to the policemen why the chairman of the EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, was being sent on the one-year course at the Nigeria Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.

The source told the Nigerian Tribune that the meeting became necessary following information filtering into the police headquarters that most of the policemen attached to the commission were now jittery about their fate in the commission.

The Director of Operations of EFCC, ACP Ibrahim Larmode, is also to attend the meeting with the police boss. Meanwhile, the Presidency has endorsed the nomination of seven senior police officers due to attend the NIPSS course, which begins in February.

Among them are the AIG in charge of Works, Muazu Idris Hadeja; A.I.G Ribadu, who is number two on the list, and five commissioners of police.

The source added that among the 16 AIGs in the force, it is only the two now listed for the one-year course at NIPSS that have not so far attended because they are general duty policemen.

The AIG Medical, who has not attended, is said to be a professional and can only attend if he wishes. Meanwhile, there were indications on Wednesday that President Yar'Adua has formally approved that Ribadu should proceed on a one-year course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

Presidency sources in Abuja told the Nigerian Tribune that Yar'Adua's approval was conveyed via a letter to the police hierarchy on January 1, 2008.

It was gathered that the approval was sequel to a letter from the IGP to Yar'Adua on the issue. Nigerian Tribune gathered that Okiro's letter was despatched to the Presidency on December 24, 2007.

When asked if the President's approval had been conveyed to Ribadu, a source said there was no need for this since Okiro, to whom the EFCC boss reports, had already formally notified Ribadu about the course.

The source said that the letter written by Okiro to Yar'Adua was to formally notify the president and get his approval for the decision.