#EndSARS: IGP Panics over Failed Suit against Panels

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu is walking on a tight rope as he struggles to exonerate himself from the lawsuit that came up on Thursday, asking a court to stop the various states’ judicial panels of enquiry probing allegations of rights abuses and other acts of brutality against the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other police units.

The Presidency is said to have been angered that a decision to set up the various panels of enquiry, taken by the National Economic Council, which has the 36 state governors and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as members, was awkwardly challenged by the IGP-led police.

A source close to the IG said he feared he might be sanctioned or even removed before the end of his tenure next January over the lawsuit which annoyed the Presidency, particularly coming from an agency of government.

As a result, “he went begging everybody that matters at the Villa to help him reach out to the President about his innocence.”

The order of the IGP on Friday, demanding the withdrawal of the suit against the judicial panels was apparently in a bid to please the Presidency. He had earlier on Thursday disowned the suit and queried the Head, Force Legal Section, Tuesday Assayomo, a Commissioner of Police.

Earlier, a police statement by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba said the IGP’s order was sequel to the outcome of investigations into the role played by the Force Legal Section in the institution of the said lawsuit.

“Recall that the IGP had yesterday, 3rd December, 2020, ordered a probe into the alleged involvement of the Force Legal Section in the attempt to halt the ongoing States’ Judicial Panel inquiries into the activities of the defunct SARS”, the statement signed by Force PRO and Deputy Commisioner of Police (DCP), Frank Mba, said.

The IG, in the statement, reassured that the force remained committed to the course of justice at all times and will not allow anybody to constitute a ‘brick-wall’ to the ongoing reform processes of the force.

The notice of discontinuance dated December 3 and brought pursuant to Order 50 Rule 2 of the Federal High Court read: “Take notice that the plaintiff herein intends to and doth hereby wholly withdraw its lawsuit against all the defendants.”

Meanwhile, It was gathered that Assayomo may be fired to send a signal that the IG was not in the know of the lawsuit.

Another source at the Force Headquarters said: “This is why the IG has been running up and down to plead for forgiveness on the basis that the lawsuit was a unilateral action by the police Legal Department.

And continuing, he retorted, “Of course, those at the Presidency know that a police legal department cannot file a case of that magnitude without the knowledge of the IG. This is what has made his case very bad. The IG ought to have looked for a better excuse. He should simply admit his mistakes. He wanted to protect the image of the police being battered at the panel, but went about it in a wrong way.”