The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has filed a N5 billion suit against Senator Hamman Misau, representing Bauchi Central senatorial district, over alleged defamation.
In the suit, the police boss is asking the court to award N5billion damages against the senator.
Already, hearing in the case which has been assigned to Justice Jude Okeke, of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is fixed for November 13, 2017.
In the suit filed by his counsel, Marcel Oru, the police boss is asking the court to award damages including aggravated and exemplary damages of N5 billion against the lawmaker for defamation for publications in Daily Trust Newspaper of 10th, 22nd and 26th August, 2017, Thisdaylive online publication and Channels Television publication.
The federal government has already arraigned Senator Misau to court on a five- count charge bordering on making false information against the IGP.
In the fresh suit before the high Court, the IGP is also pressing for an order of public apology by the Senator to be published in conspicuous pages of two widely read national newspapers.
An order of injunction restraining Misau (defendant), by himself his cohorts, servants or otherwise from further publishing, causing to be published, the said words similarly defamatory of the plaintiff.
Misau, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), had alleged in various publications specifically, the Daily Trust Newspaper and Thisdaylive that Commissioners of Police pay to the Inspector General of Police the sum of between N10million and N15m to secure what he called “favourable postings.”
According to his statement of claim, the police boss averred that in the Daily Trust of August 10, 2017, at page 3, Misau published about and regarding the plaintiff captioned: “Police Officers pay bribe for special promotion—Senator” thus: “You are talking about N500,000, it’s beyond that. A serving police officer aware of the trend has told me that they pay as much as N2.5m to get special promotion. Other sources have also confirmed to me. So it is nothing but fact.”
The plaintiff averred that on Tuesday the 22nd of August, 2017, the defendant at page 10 of the Daily Trust Newspaper stated in a news item entitled: “ Bribe for promotion: “Senator asks DSS to probe Police, PSC” when it was said that the defendant said thus regarding the plaintiff: “Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Isah Hamma Misua (APC, Bauchi) yesterday asked the Department of State security Services to conduct an Independent investigation into the bribery allegations against the Police and the Police Service Commission (PSC). Misua, a retired Police Officer, had weeks ago alleged that police officers pay as much as N2.5m to get special promotions through the PSC.”
The IGP further averred that in the Saturday 26th August 2017, Daily Trust Newspaper at page 8 thereof the defendant in a news item titled:
“Senator accuses IGP of collecting N120 billion from oil firms, others” where the defendant published falsely and maliciously concerning the plaintiff thus: “The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Isah Hamma Misau (APC, Bauchi), yesterday accused the IGP, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, of collecting as payment for Special security service rendered by the police to corporate bodies, oil firms and highly placed citizens.
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