Oshiomhole's allegations on Oyerinde unfounded -IG

By The Citizen

The Inspector- General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, on Friday defended the Police against the allegations by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State that it was shielding the killers of his private secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde.

The Police chief   dismissed the allegation as unfounded and promised to respond to the governor's allegation at the appropriate time and in 'due course.'

Oshiomhole had on Thursday during the launching of a new code of conduct for the Nigeria Police accused the Deputy Inspector-General, Force CID, Peter Gana and other investigating officers of bungling the investigation into Oyerinde's murder.

He also alleged that the police had a hand in the gruesome murder of his former principal secretary.

Although Oshiomhole said he was aggrieved over the shoddy handling of the case by the police, he praised the State Security Service for arresting the actual suspects that had committed the crime.

'IG, you know that I am aggrieved; I am aggrieved over the murder of my Private Secretary and the way in which it was trivialized. The DIG Force CID has a case to answer. It is either he is guilty of conspiracy to murder or is guilty of conspiracy to shield murderers or both. Whatever be the case, he cannot continue to wear his police uniform. He must be dismissed,' the governor had said.

In response to Oshiomhole's allegation, Abubakar said, 'In the first place, this case is in court and it may be subjudice if I comment on it. But we are going to respond to that comment at the appropriate time because he (Oshiomhole) made allegations that are unfounded.'

Meanwhile, Oshiomole, in a swift reaction to IG's position, threatened to publish the report submitted to him by the police to drive home his accusations that the police was involved in the murder of his private secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde.

The Edo State governor had at a national summit on security and a launch for new Code of Conduct in Abuja called for the sack of the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of criminal investigation department for alleged complacency in unraveling those behind the murder of the late Oyerinde.

After a meeting with senior police officers on the new Police Code of Conduct, the IG said the meeting was called to have a detailed assessment of the code, which he said would form the basis of police operations and conduct while on duty.

He directed the senior officers to organise seminars for their subordinates from the divisional level to the zonal level on the code, stressing that every officer must abide by the code.