IGP orders sack of Kogi police commissioner over suspects’ escape from custody

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the immediate sack of the Commissioner of Police (CP) in Kogi State, Ali Janga.

To this end, a new Commissioner of Police, Esa Sunday Ogbu, who was the Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja has been directed to immediately take over as the new CP.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Jimoh Moshood, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said Janga was sacked over the escape of six suspects including two principal suspects, Kabiru Seidu (alias Osama) and Nuhu Salisu (alias Small).

They had indicted Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu in a case of conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms already filed at the Federal High Court, Lokoja.

The case came up in court yesterday at the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

Meanwhile, more controversy had emerged following the escape of two suspects from police custody in Lokoja.

Before his removal yesterday, Janga had disclosed at a press conference in Lokoja, that Seidu Salisu escaped at about 3:00am from the A Police Division in Lokoja where they were being kept.

The state Police command had paraded the two political thugs alleged to be working for Melaye, who represents Kogi West.

Moshood, said working on intelligence, the Kogi State Police command and the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) trailed and arrested the suspects after a gun duel that lasted hours at Agojueju.

He pointed out that the suspects confessed to the various crimes they have involved in including kidnappings and armed robbery in different parts of Kogi State and its environs.

Janga said four other suspects escaped along with Seidu and Salisu, making them six suspects.

He explained that they escaped on Wednesday when they would have been arraigned before a Lokoja Federal High Court with Melaye and Audu who was also named as their sponsor.