Femi Adesina: It’s still an allegation that IGP did not stay in Benue

Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, says it is still an allegation that Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), failed to heed President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to relocate to Benue.

Buhari had ordered the IGP to relocate to Benue shortly after the January killings in the state.

But the IGP was said to have spent less than a day in the state before moving to Nasarawa.

During a visit to Benue on Monday, the president said he was unaware the IGP failed to heed his order.

Reacting to the development and the criticism that trailed the president’s comment, the presidential spokesman said the alleged disobedience is yet to be confirmed.

“They were in the realm of allegations until the key stakeholders mentioned it yesterday. They were just allegations as far as I’m concerned,” he said on a Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, on Tuesday.

“Even now, they are still in the realm of allegations until we hear from the IGP.”

Speaking further on the matter, he said: “It’s in the public domain that he went from Benue to Nasarawa but nobody knew that he did not spend a night in Benue.

“I’m aware of it but I did not know the length of time he stayed in Benue before moving to Nasarawa.

“The president may not know everything. He didn’t know that the IGP allegedly left Benue after one day but he got to know yesterday. So there are some things you can’t hide forever. So yes, the president may not know everything.”

When probed on what will happen to the IGP over the matter, he said: “Then you will be asking us to preempt the president. That is solely in the domain of the president to respond to. That is strictly for the president.”

Adesina was also asked of who the IGP reports to, and he said, “Well, you know it’s a line of order. I know that the IGP is responsible to the president, the minister of interior. In a way, he also works with the PSC and maybe to the NSA.”

Asked if the IGP does not report directly to the president, he said: “It depends, if the president needs a direct interface with the IGP, he has said it before that he called him up.

“The president is the commander-in-chief so he can relate with anyone he wants directly. But depending on the nature of interface that needs to take place, there are some that he will call for through the immediate superior.”