BY Comrade Ishaku Mustapha
A tale of “Double Standard” Employed by the Inspector-General of Police in Prosecuting George Uboh and Omoyele Sowore on Publications by Sahara Reporters, among others.
A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another.
On August 13, 2020, it was widely reported that Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN) wrote a letter to Sahara Reporters and Omoyele Sowore threatening to sue Sahara Reporters and Sowore on behalf of the IGP for N10Billion Naira over the Nasarawa Police training school report by Sahara Reporters, asking Sahara Reporters and Sowore for retraction and apology.
Again, on February 7, 2021, Sahara Reporters reported: EXPOSED: IGP Paid Over 2 Billion for Tenure Extension-Source. On February 9, 2021, two days later, Premium Times reported that: “IGP denies paying N2 billion for tenure extension”, and that the IGP is preparing to sue Sahara Reporters and Sowore again.
But wait a minute. Is the same IGP not prosecuting Dr. George Uboh for article published by Sahara Reporters in 2019 against Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the CBN Governor? Recall that Uboh was detained at Kuje prison from July 5, 2019 to September 16, 2019 for defamation of character of Godwin Emefiele premised by a letter Uboh wrote Emefiele with evidence attached captioned “Over $2.5 Billion USD Missing under your Watch”, asking Emefiele to return the funds to TSA.
Posers:
Why would the IGP prosecute Uboh on a matter published by Sahara Reporters (not Uboh) regarding someone else (Emefiele) which IGP deemed defamatory against Emefiele, but has never prosecuted anyone at Sahara Reporters for publishing more than once matters concerning the IGP himself which the IGP deemed defamatory?
Is it that the IGP loves Emefiele more than himself in choosing to detain Uboh for 78 days on an issue concerning Emefiele (defamatory) published on Sahara Reporters, but refused to detain anybody at Sahara Reporters on same issue (defamatory) when it concerned him the IGP?
Why the double standard? In fact, recall that the letter Emefiele wrote the IGP it was Sahara Reporters Emefiele mentioned that he suspected bugged his phone, but it was George Uboh that was arrested. See attached letter Emefiele wrote the IGP dated May 14, 2019. The above-mentioned stories can be read online.
A whistleblower at the FCT high court who wishes to remain anonymous has revealed that George Uboh has written a petition seeking to transfer his case, and that the petition is loaded with allegations of bribes Emefiele gave retired chief judge Ishaq Bello and retired DIG of Police Mike Ogbizi who hijacked a letter Emefiele wrote the IGP, treated the letter himself and is using the letter to prosecute Uboh, albeit the letter is nothing but a charade.
Emefiele, in responding to Uboh’s letter alleging that over $2.5 Billion USD was missing under Emefiele’s watch at the CBN, constituted a panel at the CBN to investigate itself, then sent the investigative report to the police. See CBN letter to the IGP dated June 10, 2019; it bears DIG Ogbizi’s stamp dated June 13, 2019 at force CID Area 1, but letter was sent to his boss the IGP at the force headquarters, Louis Edet House.
In so far as the IGP did not minute this second June 2019 letter to the DIG same way he did the May 2019 letter, DIG Ogbizi arrogated IGP’s powers to himself in treating the June 2019 letter unilaterally. Also, since when in Nigeria’s law enforcement history has the accused become the investigator of facts levelled against him (the accused), and the police becomes the recipient of investigative report prepared by the accused?
If Emefiele deemed the allegations in Uboh’s letter false, is Emefiele not supposed to either respond to Uboh same way the Vice-President, the number 2 citizen, responded to Uboh on allegations Uboh made against the VP (see VP’s letter to Uboh)? Or petition Uboh to any law enforcement agency thus allow any law enforcement agency to invite him (Emefiele) and Uboh where U“`boh will be given the opportunity to defend his allegations with attached evidence?
If the IGP and the police force embark on this trajectory of detaining and jailing activists and anti-corruption crusaders who expose the high and mighty (recall IG Wala who was jailed for exposing hajj commission corruption) under the guise of defamation of character (thereby allowing the corrupt high and mighty to get away with heinous corrupt practices), but will not detain and jail activists and anti-corruption crusaders who defame the police itself, is this not corruption? Can the police protect the high and mighty more than itself?
Disclaimer: This article does not represent the view nor editorial policy of Emerald News but the opinion of the writer
