The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has accused police officers of sabotaging the fight against bandits.
According to the lawmaker, these officers play the Judas by releasing arrested marauders.
Moving a motion on the floor of the House on Tuesday, Mr Wase said the killings in his constituency, have become outrageous as he claimed that the police have been conniving with suspected bandits carrying out the gruesome murders.
The deputy speaker, who represents Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau State, cited a case of abduction of his driver’s wife, noting that the suspect was arrested, but released by the police.
“The security is not helping in this situation. I will give two or three instances; that is why I am concerned. Citizens are making efforts through vigilantes and other operations,” he asserted.
“The kidnap of my district head’s wife by kidnappers — when they took her, the vigilantes went up to Taraba to get those bandits. As I am talking to you, those bandits have been released by the police.
“Secondly, of recent, there was an arrest of somebody who was found to be conniving with bandits in my own locality. He made a confession which was on video and it went viral. As I am talking to you, that person has been released.
“There is a case — one of my nephews working in Kaduna that was taken by bandits to far away Birnin Gwari. The combined forces of the air force went there and rescued him. They were able to arrest them. Among the people that did that dastardly act was a member of his household. Mr Speaker, the police released all those people arrested.
“I took my time to visit Governor el-Rufai and mentioned the matter to him. He took it upon himself. The next thing was that the counsel to the state called my nephew that the matter has been spoiled by the police. Even the person investigating the case has been removed from the case.
“Mr Speaker, I think we are drifting. I saw a video yesterday of two police officers who were dismissed by the police because they came here (Nasarawa) to arrest armed robbers. They were offered N8 million to release the robbers.
“As I am talking to you, this morning, the army wanted to take them for profiling but the DPO who had released them is enjoying himself in Nasarawa.”
The deputy speaker, who sponsored a motion of urgent public importance on the need to halt “wanton killings and kidnappings”, said it is sad that lawmakers can only give directives, adding that it is disheartening for suspects to just paraded, without further proper prosecutions that will lead to a conviction.
