Date Published: 07/18/10

Dear Sir,

Incompetency: IGP Onove resorted to sentiments

Police is not a State but a Federal institution Saturday Punch July 17, 2010 reported “Panic in Police High Command” regarding the kidnappings, especially in the south-east and south-south Nigeria; the latest being the unfortunate kidnap of NUJ members.

Incompetency and confusion: IGP Ogbonna Onovo, has not only accused his men of complicity in various kidnap cases but did give the Akwa Ibom and Abia police commands ultimatum to fish out the kidnappers and free the journalists. When that did not work out, he ordered the kidnappers to release their captives; but none of the orders to the Police commands and the kidnappers was adhered to.  He sentimentally went to Enugu appealing to the traditional rulers who he reminded their important roles in his appointment as the IGP; now he begged them not to allow people from the zone to take him out of job. But all these fell on deaf ears.

Recently in Akwa Ibom, a brother to Senator Bob Effiong was allegedly rescued by the Police that stormed the kidnappers den where Police alleged killing three of the alleged kidnappers. One then asks: “If Akwa Ibom Police command, on tip-off, stormed the position of the kidnappers, why not capture even one alive; yet could not parade the body of the ones allegedly gunned down?” The same Police: could not apprehend and parade the kidnappers of the former NYSC Director, retired General Edet Akpan; could not parade or give names of those that kidnapped the father of a former governorship candidate, Nsime Ekere; could not storm and kill or capture the kidnappers of mother of a Singapore-based shipbuilder and governorship aspirant, Engineer Udonwa, until the woman was murdered fifty days later and dumped on the street; could not parade one of the (claimed) arrested killer of Mr. Paul Inyang. The same Police ensured that Senator James Udoedehe was framed and arrested on the matter. There is more to be desired in the Police approach in all the matters enumerated above. Their style is impacting negatively on the State government.

Mr. Kingsley Ikpe Udoh

Plot 213 Goldie Street

Calabar

kikpeudoh@yahoo.com