RE: EHINDERO: WHY DOES THE POLICE EAT UP ITS LEADERS.

25th Sept. 2007


PRESS RELEASE

RE: EHINDERO: WHY DOES THE POLICE EAT UP ITS LEADERS.

Gentlemen of the press,

My attention has been drawn to the advertorial placed in the Vanguard Newspaper and other papers, by the so-called Police Watch, made up of “Faceless elements” , and particularly published on Page 34 of Vanguard Newspaper of Friday, August 17, and on page 50 of the Daily Trust Newspaper of 15th August 2007. I have consequently decided to exercise my right of reply and to respond accordingly in order to put the records straight and for the reading public to know the truth.


2. I AM UNDER NOBODY’S INFLUENCE:
For avoidance of doubt, permit me to state unequivocally, that I was never under anybody’s influence, directive or instruction to challenge in court, Ehindero’s illegal extension in office as the Inspector General of Police contrary to the stories being peddled about by the Ex-IGP. Mr. Sunday Gabriel Ehindero and insinuated by the “Faceless Watchers” in the said advertorial. The truth is that, it is the millipede-marcher, (Ehindero) that is crying of his foot, while the millipede (Ezerebo) is dead.

3. POSTING OUT OF THE ACADEMY, KANO:
It is true that Ehindero posted me to the Force Headquarters, Abuja from the Police Academy Kano, to work directly under him and for him, and to be doing “dirty jobs” for him. Ordinarily, one would interpret this to mean love, but with the benefit of hind-sight, it was a clever deft movement to bring Ezerebo directly under his firing line. The truth is that Ehindero hated Ezerebo with passion. But be that as it may, assuming but not conceding, that Ehindero loved Ezerebo, then he failed to obey and observe the natural and moral injunction of one not making sacrifice with the egg of a fowl he loved. In the instant case, Ehindero not only made sacrifice with the egg of

2
the fowl he claimed to love, but also sacrificed the fowl itself. But then, if posting an officer out of the Academy is considered a great favour, for which the officer must pay dearly if he fails to carry out dirty assignments, then permit me to ask few questions: Was posting an officer to the Academy in the first place, a wicked act? If yes, then Ehindero must have been very wicked to those officers he posted to the Academy even twice or thrice. Secondly, is the Academy not a duty post? Is it a dumping ground? Is where you train the officers-cadre, not supposed to be a place of excellence? I could go on and on.


4. TRIBALISM CUM ENVY
It may interest the faceless agents and hirelings of Ehindero, to know that being in the Police Academy Kano as a Director of Legal Studies was far better than being in the so-called IGP’s Secretariat Abuja, with no office of your own; working from morning till night with no financial addition or allowance to the meagre salary yet millions of naira were being embezzled on daily basis in the name of “PR” (Public Relation); no promotion, and when there is one, it takes tribal dimension. Of all of us working closely or directly with IGP Ehindero, I was the only non-Yoruba, non-Akoko Ondo and non-Akoko Edo. I was also the only one having no vehicle attached to, but was using my old jalopy for all Ehindero’s errands and other official assignments. Above all, I was the only one denied of promotions even though I was eminently qualified in all ramifications: academically, intellectually, operationally, administratively, just name it. I was the only one not given house like others in which they were living and were later sold to them. I was the only one that received his sledge hammer in return instead. In sum total, tribalism was taken to new frontiers in the Police Force under Ehindero.




5. POLICE-LAWYERS APPERANCES BEFORE SUPERIOR COURTS.
As at 8th November 1995, even though a lawyer and CP. Legal in the Police Force, Ehindero had not professionally appeared in any superior court in Nigeria; and had not filed and moved any motion or charge in the court until I


3
marshalled out the procedures and showed the possibilities of lawyer-police officers appearing in the superior courts of record and getting audience. This was at the workshop organized for lawyer-Police Officers and prosecutors in the Police Force from 8th – 10th November 1995, at the officers mess, Police College, Ikeja. In the accompanying photograph, I was the speaker, standing, marshalling out my points while Ehindero was watching and listening with rapt attention. The next day, I was invited to the high table and at the end of the workshop, I was declared the best participant by the organizers ( Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in conjunction with the Advanced Legal Studies; and the University of Lagos). Hon. Justice P.K. Nwokedi was the Chairman. Infact, Dr. Onadeko of the Nigerian Law School collected my particulars with a view of inviting me to deliver lectures at the Nigerian Law School. I was just then a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and Ehindero (then CP) was red with envy. See Chapter two of my book: “Right of Audience in courts and Prosecution of cases by Police Officers”.


6. OTHER EVIDENCE OF WICKEDNESS:

It may also interest those “Faceless Watchers” that I was granted study leave without pay for a period of four years (1981 – 1985) to read Law n the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The study leave was granted pursuant to the prevailing Civil Service Rules and the extant circulars but when I applied for “Adjustment of Service” so as to take care of those years lost, IGP Ehindero, before my very presence, threw away my application. Even in the court where the battle is now raging, Ehindero still uses a certain lawyer in the commission (as he has lost face with the Police and can no longer manipulate them from outside) to try to block me from benefiting from or getting back those years lost while on study leave without pay. He continues to do this, either in ignorance of the existing Federal Government circular on the issue or out of sheer hatred for, and wickedness against Ezerebo.



4
Certainly, it is not for ignorance because, many other officers have so benefited like-wise, in the Police Force. This is the man (Ehindero) being packaged by the “Faceless Watchers” in the mould of a lovely father and a perfect gentle-man. At this juncture, kindly permit me to borrow a leaf from Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” to say that those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by benevolent spirits should not forget to be humble. Ehindero’s palm-kernels were cracked for him by benevolent spirits but he is not humble. If IGP. Tafa Balogun had not fallen the way he did, and at the time he did, Ehindero would have retired from the Force as a DIG on 20th December 2005 – while Balogun would have remained IGP till the end of Obasanjo’s administration in May 2007 or thereafter.

6. SENDING ME ON COURSE TO BOTSWANA:
On sending me on a course to Botswana, it may interest the “Faceless Watchers” that Ehidero did not do it in good faith but maliciously, as I have come to realize with the benefit of hindsight. To start with, the course was for ASPs and not for high-calibre professionals in my standing. In fact, one of the Americans confessed to this. What Ezerebo needed at the time was promotion and not course. Since after our cadet-ASPs course in 1986, I had attended other courses, won prizes, maintained “A” gradings in my APER (Annual Performance Evaluation Report) for eleven consecutive years, got several commendations both within and outside the Force, wrote a book that has taken the Police Force to a higher level and yet, there is nothing to show for them because, I have no god-father. Posting Ezerebo out of the Academy and sending him on a course meant for ASPs to Botswana are no credit to Ehindero. Afterall, my tenure in the Academy was almost due and I would have chosen where to go to, in accordance with the tradition long established before me. Therefore, contrary to the picture of a humane personality being created of Ehindero by the “Faceless Watchers”, I hasten to say categorically, that Ehindero was the mastermind of all the several acts of injustice perpetrated against me. He even compromised and intimidated people here and there, against me.

5

7. THE “FACELESS WATCHERS”:
Since my attention was drawn to the publication, I have carried out some covert investigations and on the stratagem of lifting the veil, I discovered that the face, body, soul and financier of the so-called “Police Watch” is Ex-IGP Sunday Gabriel Ehindero. The purported signatories are faceless and fake. In fact, the name Patrick Badmus (The purported secretary) reminds me of one Mrs. Dolapo Badmus, a Women ASP of the FCT Command, Abuja. She was a cadet ASP at the time I was in the Academy as the Director of Legal Studies. She was alleged to be involved in sexual acrobatics with a certain Chairman of the FINAL Examination Board as a result of which, the questions to the examination were leaked to her. As would be expected, she took the 1st position in that final examination, yet in all the previous examinations, she had not come nearer to 100th position. They were 475 cadet ASPs. Those who were in the know, petitioned and a high-powered team of investigators led by DIG. Ogbonna Onovo carried out a thorough investigation after which, they were all indicted and the examination was cancelled. In the subsequent examination, Mrs. Dolapo Badmus did not come nearer to 100th position. This time around, she had no opportunity of another sexual summersault. Other beneficiaries of the illegal dealings include one Mrs. Tokunbo Ilesanmi, Ehindero’s niece. When Ehindero became the IGP. he swept everything under the carpet and turned his jack-knife instead , against Ezerebo who maintains one of the cleanest records in the Police Force. What an irony.

MY APPEAL
I appeal to you to kindly publish this my humble release notwithstanding that I have no money to pay as the “Faceless Watchers”. I have not embezzled any money in all my service in the Police Force: nor stolen any; nor instructed anybody to keep nor kept by my self, millions of naira and dollars in the office toilet and refrigerator; nor claim to have spent millions of naira on “PR” when we know that “PR” is a euphemism for corruption. I have

6
never ever bribed anybody in my life to pervert justice in order to enjoy illegal extension of service. I have never bribed anybody to kill stories or press reports against me or frame-up and blackmail my subordinate. I have never corrupted the system; intimidated my subordinates including DIGs, to conspire, gang-up, sign documents against an officer even when such officer did not appear before them, and even those he appeared before, did not give him audience. I have never ever ordered that any of my subordinates should be arrested and detained based on a false petition, without even hearing from the subordinate; nor have I ever written any false-report based on such false petition to my commander-in-chief on 18th April, 2006. I have always obeyed the rules of engagement and maintained the sanctity of the rule of law and due process. I challenge anybody to come up if I have fallen short of these.

Finally, it may interest the “Faceless Watchers” that Ehindero has become a serious hindrance not only to me in life, but to many others in the Police Force, hence the name “Ehindero” has become synonymous with “A hindrance”. Check this out with even a constable you may meet on the road-next time.

Thanks and God bless.


……………………………………….. …………………
Chief Barrister Cletus Otagbuorie Chidi Ezerebo;
Chief Superintendent of Police.