The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, will have to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for violating the order of President Muhammadu Buhari.
This much was made known by President Buhari on Monday during a town hall meeting he held with stakeholders of Benue State over the spate of killings.
The president was in the state to commiserate with the people of the state when Governor Samuel Ortom reported that Idris refused to carry out the order of the president that he should relocate to Benue to ensure security.
It would be recalled that following the killing of about 73 people by suspected herdsmen, Buhari ordered that Idris should relocate to Benue.
But during the visit to Benue, Ortom alleged that Idris did not carry out the order.
He was said to have relocated to Nasarawa State shortly after he arrived Benue.
Apparently taken aback by the allegation, Buhari declared that Idris had a query to answer.
Said the president: “What I did was to call him and give him (a) directive. I didn’t know he moved here (Benue State) and didn’t spend (time) and then moved to Nasarawa. It’s only now that I am knowing that. But I know I dispatched him here.”
Read also: Benue killings: We’re doing our best to stop herdsmen attacks -Buhari
He added: “At every level, you have to be loyal to people below you. Whether that person is loyal to you or not is totally a different thing.
“The easiest thing for me was to go on air and accuse the IGP of being too slow and not using the intelligence and resources available to him to foresee the action of the cattle rearers and so on. People would believe me, but I will be disloyal if I do that.”
Buhari, at the meeting, appealed to leaders of various groups in Benue State to convince their constituents that the federal government was doing its best to end the recurring attacks by armed herdsmen in various parts of the country.
Responding to remarks by various stakeholders during a the meeting, the president also urged them to show restraint and allow the security agencies to handle the untenable situation.
According to him, “The governor and I, and others here know that we will leave one day, but the relationship between farmers and herders will continue. I urge you to keep in touch with them and advise them to live peacefully. Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups with different cultures and nobody can question God for putting us together.”
