A Nigerian Senator was Wednesday granted N5million bail with two sureties in like sum for allegedly making “injurious falsehood” of N120bn bribery allegation against the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, and the Nigeria Police Force.
Isah Misau, who was arraigned and docked by the Federal Government on a five-count charge, pleaded not guilty before the Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello in an Abuja High Court, Maitama.
FG had in the charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/345/2017, which was endorsed by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, listed some of the “injurious falsehood” it said the defendant made to include allegations that police officers paid as much as N2.5 million to get special promotion and posting through the Police Service Commission, PSC.
The embattled lawmaker, who represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District, had after the charges were read to him, applied through his lawyer, Chief Godwin Obla, SAN, to be granted bail on self-recognition.
Misau said he would be available to defend all the allegations the Federal Government levelled against him, adding that he appeared before the court voluntarily to face the charges.
Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Salihu Bakun, who represented the Federal Government, said he was not opposed to the bail request.
Consequently, Justice Bello granted the bail application, and fixed November 28 for trial.
The charge was a direct fall-out of allegations Misau, who is a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, raised against the IGP.
Misau was charged for alleging that the police boss diverted money meant for the purchase of Armoured Personnel Carriers, Sport Utility Vehicles and other exotic cars.
He was said to have falsely accused the IGP of making almost half of the mobile commanders in the country the people of his Nupe extraction.
The lawmaker, aside accusing the IGP of instituting roadblocks across Nigeria with the purpose of extorting money from unsuspecting motorists, equally alleged that the police boss had sexual affair with female police officers.
Misau further alleged that the IGP collects illegal fees by way of security protection given to corporate organizations, eminent citizens and oil companies running into billions of Naira.
The AGF maintained that the lawmaker had by his action utterances, committed an offence contrary to Section 393(1) of the Penal Code.
FG equally filed another seven-count charge against the lawmaker before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the second seven-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/170/2017, FG alleged that Misau falsely declared his age in affidavits he deposed to at FCT High Court and the Bauchi State Health Management Board Birth Certificate.
He was said to have submitted the false documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2011 and 2014.
Meanwhile, some of the charges against Misau read: “That you, lsah Hamman Misau of Hamman Misau Residence, Turaki Street, Misau, Bauchi State, on or about August 10, 2017, at Abuja and other part of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make a false statement of fact to wit: that police officers pay as much as two million, five hundred thousand naira (N2.5m) to get special promotion and posting through the Police Service Commission as published in the Daily Trust Newspaper dated August 10, 2017, knowing that such false statement of fact would harm the reputation of Mr. Ibrahim Kpotun ldris (the serving Inspector-General of Police), the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission and you thereby committed an offence.
“That you, Isah Hamman Misau of Hamman Misau Residence, Turaki Street, Misau, Bauchi State, on or about October 5, 2017, at Abuja and other part of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make a false statement of fact to wit: that about N10bn is being received by the Inspector-General of Police on a monthly basis from oil companies, banks, hotels and individuals as bribes for police protection and that is why you see people of dubious character with sirens in the country which said false statement of fact was aired in the Channels Television programme tagged Politics Today on August 27, 2017, and published in the Daily Trust Newspaper dated October 5, 2017, knowing that such false statement of fact would harm the reputation of Ibrahim Kpotun Idris (the serving Inspector-General of Police), the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission and you thereby committed an offence.’’
