*IGP clarifies why Senator Nwebonyi stormed out of budget defence session
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said that their operatives uncovered and raided an illegal weapons manufacturing factory at Tse Akamabe area of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State and nabbed two suspects namely, Friday Aduduakambe, male and Iorwashima Iornyume, male, aged 35 years.
This was as the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, yesterday clarified the mild drama that occurred during the presentation of the Nigeria Police Force 2025 budget estimate to the Joint Committees on Police Affairs and Police Institutions at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, on January 16, 2025.
During a coordinated search of the illicit weapons factory, the operatives recovered nine locally fabricated pistols, one locally fabricated AK-47 rifle (unfinished), two gas cylinders, four vise machines, one filing machine and numerous other weapons manufacturing tools.
A statement by Force Spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the operatives also raided a house of a cultist in Delta State and apprehended no fewer than two murder suspects in Kebbi State.
“In another development, police operatives attached to the Delta State Command acting on credible intelligence raided an apartment in DSC belonging to a notorious eiye confraternity member identified as Prosper Akeni aged 32 years, a hit man for the cult group and the following items were recovered; one English revolver pistol, one beretta pistol, two locally made double barrel gun, two locally made single barrel gun, one locally made revolver pistol, one locally made single barrel pistol and 25 rounds of ammunition.
“The suspect confessed that the guns recovered belonged to his cult group and he was in custody of them as the number one man in the group.
“Equally, the Police on December 31, 2024, at approximately 8:00 PM, arrested Yunusa Haruna, a 25-year-old male from Bakin Turu Village in Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State, who fatally stabbed his elder brother, Isiyaku Haruna, with a sharp knife in the chest.
“In response to the ugly incident, a team of police officers from the Divisional Police Headquarters in Shanga promptly raced to the scene and arrested the suspect. Also, another suspect, one Abubakar Ummar, was arrested in Zuru Village on 8th January, 2025 for stabbing one Mohammed Bala during an argument leading to his immediate demise,” Adejobi said.
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, applauded the operatives for these milestone achievements in the fight against crime and criminality, and has charged police operatives to intensify efforts in ensuring sanctity is restored across the country.
Egbetokun further encouraged members of the public to remain vigilant at all times and share useful information to the Police in order to have a community based policing system.
Giving clarification why Senator Nwebonyi stormed out of the Budget Defence session, Egbetokun further clarified that the police did not submit two different 2025 budgetary proposal documents to the joint committees at the National Assembly, contrary to the reports circulating in the news and media outlets.
Egbetokun described the disruption as unnecessary and avoidable, stressing that the document he presented was shared with all committee members beforehand.
The police boss explained that two versions of the budget documents were provided to the committee members: a comprehensive copy and an abridged version.
A statement by Force Spokesperson, Adejobi said that while both contained the same figures and facts, the abridged version used simplified language to facilitate understanding.
According to him, “At the start of the session, the committee members unanimously agreed with a motion that the IGP should present the abridged version since they all had access to both documents.
“However, distinguished Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North), who arrived late, began referencing the comprehensive version while the IGP presented the abridged version. Despite explanations from other committee members about the earlier agreement and the consistency between both versions, the senator refused to listen and abruptly left the session.”
The IGP described the incident as unnecessary drama that could have been avoided had the Senator been receptive to the clarifications provided.
Restating the significant challenges the police face with budget allocations, the police boss identified these challenges to include inadequate funding, which hampers modernisation and effective service delivery, the restrictive envelope budget system, and delays in fund releases.
These challenges, he said, continue to impede the Force’s ability to address its expanding and dynamic responsibilities.
He, however, called on the public to remain patient and support the police as the force remains committed to delivering exceptional service with professionalism and dedication.
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