Tobi Adebayo
The South-West Governors’ Forum has condemned the Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba over a Chief Superintendent of Police’s defiance of an order given by Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
ThisNigeria reported that the CSP identified as Abimbola Oyewole refused to vacate Magodo Estate Phase II on Sanwo-Olu’s order, saying the IGP and AGF gave the order for the policemen to remain stationed at the estate.
Reacting to the incident in a statement on Wednesday, the forum described said it is “preposterous for political appointees to seek to undermine the very structure of service upon which their appointments rest.”
“We condemn, very strongly, this brazen assault on decency. We call on the IG to explain the justification for this intrusion. This is not acceptable. Any expectations of rapprochement between so-called federating units and federal security agencies are becoming forlorn, progressively, due to deliberate acts which mock our very avowal to ethics and professionalism.
“We condemn, in very clear terms, the role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN in this act of gross moral turpitude.
VIDEO: Sanwo-Olu fumes as policemen refuse to vacate Magodo Phase II
“We, on our part, will continue to interrogate the current system, which treats elected representatives of the people as mere prefects, while appointed office holders ride roughshod over them as Lords of the Manor.
“If the purported Chief Security Officers of the States of the Federation require clearance from the office of the IG on matters within their areas of jurisdictions, only hypocrites will wonder why the current security crisis deepens and there appears to be no solution in the foreseeable future.
“We stand by our brother, the Governor of Lagos State. We advise him to deploy the Regional security outfit in the State to protect the lives and property of the people.
“We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to rein in the excesses of certain elements bent on acting in a manner capable of eroding the bond of trust existing between the people and the Federal Government,” the statement read.
