The Kaduna state police command has warned Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna state to desist from frivolous and malicious allegations against any security agency.
El-Rufai had on Thursday accused the Kaduna state government of using the police as Governor Uba Sani’s “kidnapping gang” to arrest Ja’afar Sani, a former commissioner in El-Rufai’s government.
“Our colleague and versatile former commissioner during the El-Rufai Administration – Mallam Jafaru Sani has been abducted in Kaduna by Uba Sani’s kidnapping gang, claiming to be the police, this afternoon!…” El-Rufai wrote on his X handle on Thursday.
However, in statement on Friday, spokesperson of the Kaduna state police command, Mansir Hassan, said there is no kidnapping gang within the Nigerian Police Force.
Hassan said, “The attention of the Kaduna State Police Command has been drawn to a statement credited to former governor of the State, Malam Nasir El Rufai, on his X handle, wherein he alleged that one of his former Commissioner Malam Jafaru Sani, was abducted by what he referred to as Uba Sani’s ‘kidnapping gang’ which he claimed to be the police .
“The former governor further stated that Jafaru was remanded in prison custody by a magistrate without any police First Information Report or charges by the State Ministry of Justice”.
The statement said, “To put the records straight, there is no kidnapping gang within the Nigerian Police Force.”
Hassan said, “The Nigerian Police as an institution is created by the 1999 Constitution and the Police Act.
“These two statutes mandate the Police to maintain law and order”.
The statement maintained that in the discharge of its constitutional duty, the police have the legal right to arrest and investigate whoever is suspected to have committed an offence.
“Individuals, corporate organisations and government etc, have the constitutional right to lodge a formal complaint to police and the police have mandate to investigate such allegations and when it’s believed that an offence has been committed such matter be prosecuted or or referred to court,” the statement added.
The statement urged members of the public, especially individuals who have held positions of authority, to exercise caution and desist from frivolous and malicious allegations against any security agency.
It further urged individuals to always verify allegations before making any public statements.
“Making unverified allegations against security agencies not only mislead the public but also have the potentials of undermining the law enforcement agencies.
“Citizens are encouraged to seek legal redress if they feel aggrieved, rather than resort to inflammatory comments that will heat up the polity”, the statement said.
