IGP faults Ortom’s narration of alleged assassination attempt

• Says SARS disbandment created vacuum in fight against insecurity

By Egena Sunday Ode

The Acting Inspector General Of Police,, Alkali Usman Baba, has faulted the narration  of Benue State Governor , Samuel Ortom, of an alleged attempt on his life recently.

He said, however, that all the suspects in the attack have been arrested and will soon be arraigned

Baba stated this at the weekly State House briefing organized by the Presidential Communication team.

He also explained that the judicial workers strike was the reason the suspects have not been arraigned in court .

Governor Ortom had in March alleged that he was attacked on his farm at Tyo-mu on the Makurdi-Gboko Road by about 15 gun carrying men in an assassination attempt.

The IGP said: “We’ve been able to uncover the assailants. And we’ve been able to establish what actually happened contrary to what he said.

“And we’ve been able to get these people and know where they came from, how they came but the case is still under investigation and that  is why…there are some vital things that we have not been able to complete.

“But as for those who would pull the trigger and those who organized the crime, they are with us, they’ve been arrested.

Baba also disclosed that 1,173 high-profile suspects have arrested nationwide between April and May 2021.

The IGP also explained  why police personnel have not been withdrawn from VIPs as being clamoured for.

He said :“but the issue is there are those that needed to be escorted, there are those needed to be guided, because of the nature of job they are doing, or nature of responsibility, they are carrying.

“The state is supposed to provide security, the state is supposed to protect the citizens, particularly citizens that are vulnerable to attacks or assault or whatever kind of attacks  or because of the nature of duty they do.

“Two, you  have political leaders, who by virtue of the political offices they find themselves they are entitled to be escorted.  Even businessmen because of  their position in the society, and they need to protected, they need to be guided.

According to the IGP also, the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has created a vacuum in Nigeria’s Police effort at fighting insecurity.

He noted that the morale of the personnel of the force had remained dampened in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest and with the recent attacks in the Southeast.

He said the regular policemen and women have not been able to immediately slot into the vacuum created by SARS disbandment even though efforts are ongoing to train them for the new role.

The acting IGP affirmed that the security situation in the country has stabilized most times but with pockets of problems around the country.