Delta CP In Bribery, Corruption Saga
Bribery and corruption allegations are currently rocking the Delta State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Usman Baba Alkali who is alleged to be receiving cash gifts from suspected Fulani Herdsmen whose activities have gone berserk in host communities of the state.
It is no longer news that in almost all the communities where their cattle are grazing, there are sad stories here and there, women and young girls are said to be raped in their farmlands, kill men and youths who dare to confront them for destroying their crops or raping their women and sometimes barricade highways with their cattle and rob motorists, travellers and other road users.
Our investigations revealed that when these cattle rearers are apprehended, they allegedly induce the CP with monies through the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID) to be given bail.
Our source said, when these Fulani Herdsmen are caught with AK47 Rifles and other dangerous weapons, they go through the SCID to offer bribe running into thousands of naira and they are given bail just as our source tongue lash the Police Commissioner over his insensitiveness towards the security of lives and property of the citizenry.
Further investigations disclosed that notorious armed robbers who are able to bribe their way have also been allegedly freed from police custody, while their activities go wide across the state using every available opportunity they have even in brood day light to unleash havoc on innocent and law abiding citizens.
Reports from major towns like Agbor, Asaba, Kwale, Isoko, Ughelli, Isiokolo and the Warri axis has it that life has become unbearable for residents because of the unending activities of the bandits who they say are cultists with heavy profile personalities behind their operations in the state four months into the yuletide season.
Our source has also accused the CP of fraternizing with politicians, alleging that he was grossly used in the last election by those in the corridors of power to rig them into offices, alleging further that Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of the state was one of those Mr. Alkali worked for during the April 11 governorship election.
He also alleged that Okowa was behind the CP who would have been transferred from the state over the role he (CP) allegedly played during his election as governor just as our source purported that a high ranking officer was also behind the CP in Abuja thwarting every move to transfer him.
The immediate past CP, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba whom our correspondent contacted to speak on the spat of insecurity in the state replied through a text message, “I cannot comment, all is not well generally. If Nigeria is rated third from the bottom among countries ravaged with terrorists’ activities that spells danger. Economic activities is grounded, banks crying foul, crude oil is dropping dollar wise, future for now is bleak. God’s divine intervention. Needed”.
Contacted, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Alkali denied all allegations but confirmed the activities of Fulani Herdsmen in Kwale.
Hear him, “how do I even come in contact with the arrested Fulani man? If a Fulani man or anybody is arrested for an offence, it should be that the arrest is carried out on the road by the highway patrol. Then we have investigating output which is the Criminal Investigative Department. So, how do I get in contact with the people to even collect money from them?
“I don’t investigate any case, I am the Commissioner of Police in charge of administration and finance. That means every police station, Area Command and every formation is under me. I don’t investigate case, cases are investigated and brought to me, reports are written to me if they are to be taken to court, they are taken to court. If they are to be release for want of the evidence, I approve whatever the recommendation that is made base on facts in the investigation. So, I doubt if that would be correct but if you have any case in point, any particular reference that you want to make to or the allegation is made to wherever the arrest was made and brought to my office, then let me know. To the best of my knowledge there is no Fulani man that have been arrested and brought to my office and I order his release”, he said.
On the alleged strong forces behind his non-transfer, he said, “these are not to my knowledge. All I know is that transfer is a routine thing in the police. I came from somewhere, this is my seven or eight states that I have been working since I entered the police, I have been transferred from one state to another, transfer is never somebody’s business. I think it is a routine thing in the police, so, I don’t know of anybody who is behind me in the force headquarters or who is not behind me in the force headquarters but I think transfer is a routine thing in the police service”.
On the alleged governor’s insistence that he should not be transferred he hinted, “I am not in a better position to answer that allegation. I don’t know the governor has stood for me not to be transferred, I don’t know, he would be in a better position to answer that. As far as I am concern, transfer brought me, transfer will carry me from here”.
On the Fulani Herdsmen ravaging the state without any re-enforcement from the police he said, “That is a liar, I am the chairman of the committee on cattle rearers which encompasses all other stakeholders including traditional rulers, and other stakeholders from the Fulani. We sit down and we talk, we look into cases, so I seriously doubt that allegation. Where we have these rampant cases is around Kwale and the local government chairmen in conjunction with other stakeholders, we are all on the matter. So, I have never seen where Fulani men got ravaged and the police did not respond but I look for improvement”, he said.
But when contacted to clear the air, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, simply replied in a text to our correspondent that, “sorry, I can’t talk now” without first waiting to hear why our correspondent called him.