A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has found itself sharply divided over the recent decision by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to withdraw police personnel from the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.
This withdrawal, which reportedly follows investigations into multi-billion-naira corruption allegations against the National Chairman of the ruling All-Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, raises serious concerns about the politicisation of law enforcement agencies.
On one hand, the Transparency See Initiative (TWI) has hailed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for withdrawing officers assigned to the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Under the auspices of the Transparency See Initiative (TWI), the coalition described the IGP’s action as timely and necessary to avoid the breakdown of law and order.
No fewer than 40 policemen providing security and investigation support for the agency were asked to report back to command headquarters with immediate effect.
In a statement signed by its president, Dr Kolawole Anthony, the coalition welcomed the development and thanked the IGP for stepping in.
He said the state’s anti-corruption agency is one of the tools to fight these people, and security personnel found themselves in the middle of the crossfire.
“We welcome the news of IGP Egbetokun’s decision to withdraw police officers attached to the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission with great excitement.
“This is not only timely but necessary to avoid further breakdowns of law and order in the state. As we all know, Kano is very volatile.
“The police officers were being used for other things aside from their primary assignment. That is why so many questions have been raised about state policing.
However, leading civil society groups, including the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), have strongly condemned the IGP’s decision.
A joint statement signed by leaders of the groups, Olanrewaju Suraju, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, and Zikrillahi Ibrahim, respectively, said, “It is deeply troubling that law enforcement resources are being redirected away from combating corruption and instead appear to be utilised to obstruct investigations into high-profile individuals and undermine accountability. This action threatens the principles of federalism, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.”
The statement emphasised the need for the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to prioritise the integrity and independence of law enforcement agencies. It urged the IGP to refrain from any actions that could be perceived as politically motivated, emphasising that the fight against corruption should be free from political interference.
The groups commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for their commendable response when Dr Ganduje attempted to manipulate them against the Kano State Anti-Corruption Commission.
Considering these concerns, the groups called on the IGP to immediately reinstate police support for the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.
They stressed the importance of ensuring that law enforcement agencies remain impartial and committed to combating corruption in Nigeria.
The statement concluded by urging the IGP to embrace professionalism and uphold the principles of justice and accountability in the execution of his duties.
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