The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba has asked the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee Investigating Alleged Loss of Over $2.4 Billion from Illegal Sale of 48 Million Barrels of Crude Oil Export in 2015, including Crude Oil Export from 2014 till date
to direct its questions to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
Alkali, who appeared before the committee on Thursday said the police has the responsibility to act on any petition received against individuals and entities.
Represented by Assistant Inspector General of Police, Garba Baba Umar, the police boss said all queries on the alleged money loss and other sundry matters be directed to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and relevant courts as the matter was already in court.
The IGP explained that the Interpol had received a petition about some individuals who blackmail and extort money from government officials and swung into action by inviting the persons, Marco Antonio Ramirez, a Mexican, Francis Ibomor and 40 others.
“It is my responsibility to act on any information received. I assure you, we are not investigating, we are only inviting people to come and say their own part of the story.
“It is pertinent to state that sometime in 2015, the NPF received a petition from the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation’s office to investigate the activities of some Nigerian and foreign nationals involved in blackmail and extortion of government functionaries, using forged documents to gain access to public institutions and carry out fraudulent activities.
“The investigation was concluded wherein a prima facie case of conspiracy, blackmail, and extortion of government functionaries, using forged documents to gain access to public institution and fraud was established against them and the said charge mentioned in your letter was filed by the office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
“The suspects were arraigned for the said offenses and granted bail pending the determination of the charge. However, it is observed that they were arraigned by the EFCC in other offences and were in detention thereby stalling continuation in this trial for sometime.
“At the resumption of trial, it is discovered that some of them have absconded into other countries while those in Nigeria are at needed to appear in court for their trial, hence the invitation which they forwarded to your committee for help,” Umar said.
He further explained that the Interpol wrote to the self-styled whistleblowers as it is a different arm of the police force and has different responsibilities and duties.
“The Interpol has nothing to do with national police,” he stressed, adding that the Interpol cannot be used to witch-hunt anyone, he said.
Earlier, the chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon Mark Gbillah wondered why the whistle blowers who came to give more details to the House were being hunted, noting that one of the whistle blowers was supposed to be at the hearing but was afraid and feel intimidated.
“We found out that your department wrote to those two individual which is not a coincidence. Why did the Interpol write to them before they came to the House?” Gbillah queried.
Meanwhile, stakeholders have supported the passage of bills to establish Federal Road Safety Commission schools.
They are: “A bill for an act to establish Federal Road Safety Commission Command and staff college Ibadan to serve as a high level centre for training of FRSC personnel, personnel of strategic sister agencies, relevant MDAs as a centre of research in road traffic administration and safety management and for related matters.
“A bill for an act to establish FRSC inspectorate training school as a higher national diploma awarding institution to provide academic and professional training and for related matters
“A bill for an act to establish FRSC academy as a degree awarding academy institution to provide academic and professional training and for related matters; and a bill for an act to establish FRSC road marshal assistant training school and for related matters.”
The stakeholders spoke at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives committee on Road Safety on Thursday.
In his presentation, the Corps Marshall Mr. Dauda Ali Biu, pointed out that there was the need for training and retraining of road safety personnel in the interest of safety on Nigerian roads.
He also said that “After critical review of the bills, we came to the conclusion that the bills should be harmonized to avoid ambiguity”.
He said that the essene of the institutions was to give staff the needed trainings.
Similarly, the Chairman Road Safety Board, Mr. Bukhari Bello, said that for Nigeria to achieve the objectives of the United Nations Conventions, other Laws and regulations, training and retraining of members of the Corps was of utmost importance.
“It is my firm belief that the establishment of the Institutions would avail Officers and Marshals of the Corps and interested members of the public opportunity for capacity building and development of positive policies that will eradicate the menace of road traffic crashes in the country. It will also enhance leadership qualities of such member of the Corps to be vibrant road traffic administrators and safety managers,” he said.
A representative of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Paschal Iwuaga, said that the NUC did not get the bill for the establishment of the FRSC Staff College.
He also said that the NUC does not oppose the Road Safety Academy but that the Chairman of Council must be appointed by the Nigerian president.