Leadership (Abuja)
Stanley Nkwocha
17 November 2008
Abuja — Angered by what it regards as a clear and deliberate abuse of a court order, the National Association of Nigerian Youth Leaders, (NANYL), has asked President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to sack the Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro.
The association and the police's vested interest in the purported declaration of Senator Usman Albishir as a wanted person, despite a court order prohibiting such, and violating the Attorney-General's order asking the police to stay action and hand over the case file to him, clearly showed that the IG lacked the courage and capacity to enforce the rule of law as canvassed by President Yar'Adua.
In a release made available to LEADERSHIP, signed by its President, Comrade Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, the association said it had followed the incident involving the police and Senator Albishir since their ambush at his Maitama, Abuja residence, in a bid to arrest him despite a court order prohibiting such and had concluded that the police vested interest in the case was not ordinary and smelled of deceit and incompetence.
"Since the controversy trailing the incident, the police has not made any categorical statement, but rather, has engaged in a cat and mouse game, suggesting that waters may be passing underground.
"We are dismayed that the IG, who is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing President Yar'Adua's rule of law, has allowed himself to be used in bringing this noble objective to disrepute.
"What the IG has manifested is incompetence, and a clear-cut bias which is unexpected of such an office holder. It is only proper that he is sacked or honourably resigns," the group said.
A purported "wanted declaration" of Senator Albishir by the police had been published by some media outfits despite a Federal High Court order which enforced Albishir's fundamental human rights asking for a stay of order pending the hearing of the suit.
NANYL said it was further angered that the IG went ahead to declare Senator Usman Albishir wanted in violation of the Attorney-General's and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa's order, asking the IG to forward the case files to his office and stay action until he was advised.
But in a clear violation of the AG's order Mike Okiro had gone ahead and declared the ANPP chieftain, who is contesting his unlawful substitution and disqualification as the ANPP gubernatorial candidate in Yobe State, having won the ANPP primaries at the 2007 guber race, wanted.
The police raised a defamatory suit against Senator Albishir after Senator Mamman Ali of Yobe, in a letter of complaint to the police, accused Senator Albishir of alleged character assassination.
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