Civil rights groups have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over the incessant killings by herdsmen, particularly in the Northern part of the country.
The Campaign for Democracy and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in an interview with Punch also called for the removal of heads of the military.
They stated that the IGP was due for removal after disobeying a directive of Buhari that he should relocate to Benue State.
The CD President, Usman Abdul, said, “To put it emphatically and going by the past and present realities, the service chiefs had their tenure extended twice by the President, which to me, did not show seriousness on the part of the Federal Government. The service chiefs have young, vibrant and efficient junior officers who should step into their shoes.
“The President has failed to declare the herdsmen as terrorists. He claimed to have defeated the Boko Haram but we have a more vicious enemy in the herdsmen. The IG is long overdue to be removed looking at the myriad of allegations around him on the dereliction of duty. It may only mean that President Muhammadu Buhari is no longer in charge. The service chiefs and the IG must go and we must bring in fresh blood.”
Similiarly, the CDHR President, Malachy Ugwummadu, stated apart from the sack of the IG and the service chiefs, those found culpable among them must be tried.
He said, “I am adding that apart from the clamour and agitations for the removal of these heads of security agencies, there must be some punishments for those who allowed these criminal inefficiencies.
“When we ought to have pressure and innovations from the police and military, we are recording more deaths. Under Section 33 of our constitution, the right to life is the most precious. Under Section 218 of the constitution, the President has the powers to determine the operational use of the police and armed forces, and the powers to appoint and remove all of them.”