By Paul Dada
When Mallam Nuhu Ribadu held sway as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), opinions of Nigerians about his methods were divergent.
There were those who believed that the Adamawa-born policeman was the man needed to fight corruption in the country to a standstill. In their opinion, the way Ribadu handled seeming sacred cows such as the former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun; erstwhile governor of Bayelsa state, Dr. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and others, proved that he was the man to cleanse the augean stable.
There were, however, others who argued that Ribadu’s methods were rather crude. For instance, they lampooned Ribadu for bringing Tafa, his former boss, to court in manacles.
Some felt that Ribadu’s fight against corruption was not driven by noble motives. They accused him of being selective in the choice of the people he investigated and prosecuted as EFCC boss. To them, Ribadu was a mere instrument in the hands of the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who used him to persecute his enemies and critics. There were those who could even bet that Ribadu’s elevation from the rank of a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to that of the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) was Obasanjo’s reward for Ribadu who did his bidding well.
Ribadu’s career as the EFCC helmsman and senior officer of the Nigeria Police began to nosedive with Umar Yar’Adua’s emergence as president. It is believed that James Ibori, former governor of Delta state; Dr. Bukola Saraki and others had become sworn enemies of Ribadu, because of the searchlight which EFCC beamed on their activities while they were in office. Hence, they mounted pressure on Yar’Adua to clip the wings of the eagle called Ribadu.
The first blow that the former anti-corruption czar was dealt last year, was the decision of the police authorities to send him to the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos.
Thus, Ribadu had to exit the EFCC when he had not finished his term. Mrs. Farida Waziri was consequently appointed as the Acting Chairman of the commission.
While many thought that Ribadu would still come back to head the EFCC, P.M.News, which is the only surviving credible evening newspaper, reported that sources close to the Presidency said that his exit was final. Before this time, P.M.News was the first paper to report the improbability of Ribadu’s return to EFCC.
In its edition of 28 December, 2007, the paper said “close aides of president Umar Yar’Adua’s confirmed to P.M.News that there is no going back on the deployment of Ribadu to Kuru, Jos, to attend a course at the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).”
In that edition, Yar’Adua’s aides were reported to have accused Ribadu of disloyalty to the Yar’Adua administration. He was said to have been casting the government in bad light and heating up the polity.
While Ribadu remained as an unwilling student of NIPSS, nobody seemed to have a premonition of what fate would befall him next, until P.M.News, on 28 June, 2008, declared on its front page “Ribadu Demoted.” It reported that a source confirmed that the hapless policeman had been demoted from a DIG to DCP. P.M.News later went on in the same story to say that a source at the Police Service Commission in Abuja, confirmed that the commission was reviewing the appointments and promotions of top officers, including Nuhu Ribadu.
His offence, according to the PSC source, was that “Ribadu has stepped on toes. Many officers in the Nigeria Police cannot tolerate his arrogance and confrontational nature. They believe he is so full of himself as he hardly pays compliments to his colleagues and superiors.” The source said the tripple promotion that was given to Ribadu when Sunday Ehindero was the IGP, affected his senses.
It was nearly two months after P.M.News published this that Ribadu, along with 139 other officers, were demoted. In August, this year, the chairman of the PSC, Parry Osayande, a retired policeman, said in a statement that apart from Ribadu, who was demoted to the rank of a DCP, six commissioners of police reverted to DCPs, nine DCPs were demoted to ASP, eight ACPs became chief superintendents, 11 CSPs reverted to SP, 13 SPs were reduced to the status of DSP, 29 DSPs became ASPs while 45 ASPs reverted to Inspectors.
While commenting on Ribadu’s demotion, the current IGP, Mr. Mike Okiro, said “AIG Ribadu’s promotions from DCP to CP and CP to AIG were effected with less than two years Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) and was not backed up by police service commission’s letters.”
When Ribadu heard of his demotion, he screamed blue murder and headed for the court. But the authorities, it seemed, were bent on humiliating the once dreaded fighter of corruption. At the graduation ceremony of NIPSS, when Ribadu along with other top civil servants who had completed their course were to receive their certificates, the demoted policeman suddenly disappeared.
According to reports, Ribadu was whisked away on the orders of the Federal Government and kept under house arrest. It seemed to be a punishment meted out to Ribadu for daring to challenge the decision of the PSC in court.
Later, Ribadu’s whereabouts became unknown. At this time, he was not only needed by the disciplinary committee of the police, but also the EFCC, who claimed that certain documents of the commission were in his hands, and which he had to relinquish.
Ribadu failed to appear before the disciplinary committee of the police and P.M.News was the first to report his looming dismissal. On 24 November, the banner headline of P.M.News was “Police Set To Dismiss Ribadu.” The headline was accompanied by a rider: “Ex-EFCC Boss May Boycott Meeting With Okiro.”
According to this edition, it was a top police officer who disclosed to P.M.News that “all the ill-treatments being meted out on Ribadu were aimed at frustrating him to resign from the police, but the man is so stubborn that he remained adamant.”
The next day, P.M.News reported that Ribadu shunned the meeting with Okiro because he was afraid for his life. In that report, Ribadu’s lawyer, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, said Ribadu could not honour the IG’s invitation as he had a case against the police in court.
Yesterday, the Nigeria police finally wielded the big stick. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was dismissed from the force. P.M.News, which always strives to keep abreast of breaking news, quickly went public with a second edition. The lead story was Ribadu’s dismissal. Its banner headline read: “Ribadu Dismissed From Police.”
P.M.News reported that the force spokesman, Akpoebi Agberebi, signed a statement in which Ribadu’s “iniquities” were enumerated. According to the police image maker, Ribadu was sacked for indiscipline, insubordination and absence from duty.
He was also said to be guilty of misconduct for appearing before the president in plain clothes on the day of his graduation from NIPSS while his counterparts were properly dressed. Further listed as one of his misdeeds was his institution of legal proceedings against the IG, the Attorney-General and the police service commission, at a Federal High Court in Lagos, without proper authority from government.
The accurate and prompt portage of Ribadu’s litany of woes as well as other issues have clearly distinguished P.M.News as a credible evening tabloid. The antecedents of this publication testify to the fact that it will for a long time, continue to be a force to reckon with in terms of prompt and accurate delivery of news, among other newspapers.
ibrahim d
24 December 2008 16:16Such modesty, pmnews! If nobody would stoop to praise you, you blow your own trumpet.
jgclkd gcldi
24 December 2008 16:50You are full of CRAP,the only edge you have in reporting the persecution of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is because your man who is now the headof media of EFCC is one of the tools used in persecuting this great Patriot
Don Mike [De Tiger]
24 December 2008 17:57”The accurate and prompt portage of Ribadu’s litany of woes as well as other issues have clearly distinguished P.M.News as a credible evening tabloid. The antecedents of this publication testify to the fact that it will for a long time, continue to be a force to reckon with in terms of prompt and accurate delivery of news, among other newspapers”…………… Agreed! But PM News should stop unneccsary reportage/Advertisement of Sex Toys, and Ashawo beign fucked at an Office Corridor at Allen… Very irritating news!. You should also stop unnecesary one-sided story and sugar-coated promotion of Lagos State Goverment’s Draconian Laws.. Let the world also know how KAI & LASTMA Officials are so Lawless, crude, and the brutal way of extorting road users in Lagos…. De Tiger.
emma majebi (Lagos Nigeria)
24 December 2008 17:58RIBADU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIS OWN BEST ADVISER. iF HE THINKS THAT ALL THOSE people urging him to fight his employers on the pages of newspapers would stand by him to the the end then he is a poor student of Nigerian History. He should remember the story of MKO Abiola who won an election and the election was annuled. Some rabble rousers advised him to declare himself president and he did. The moment he did that and was arrested half of the mob went back. Some started to lobby for jobs from Abacha. When a window was opened for Abiola’s freedom via an arranged bail these same rabble rousers said he should remain in jail; after all Mandela, they said, stayed in jail for 27years. Abiola again listend to the mob after he died everyone kept quiet and left his family to suffer alone. Now that the mob has pushed Ribadu to a stage where he was sacked, he would soon begin to see the true colour of the mob that spurged him to go ona suicide mission!! Very soon he would be left all alone to sufeer hgis fate. The mob would be long gone in search of another victim to destroy!!
Alabi Opeyemi
24 December 2008 18:10Come to think of it: where is OBJ? This man just kept a long distance from Ribadu after serving ”him” and the country selflessly. May be he is acting behind the scene to help him out.
I really pity this guy but for sure God will come to his rescue.
Anyway, God dey oooooooo!!!!
ken johnson
24 December 2008 18:18In nigeria everybody talk with both side of there mouth including Mr rule of law.Watchout. the end is yet to come.
Frank
24 December 2008 19:12He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. This is the patience of “Ribadu victims”.
Igiri Oke
24 December 2008 19:24Welldone PM. But i must also give kudos to SAHARA Reporters (www.saharareporters.com). The ”best behind the news guru”
igri oke
EBERE VALENTINE
24 December 2008 19:26P.M News well done for your good journalism.Here in Yaounde where I reside I could not sleep untill I have a glance at the P.M News of the day,keep it up am proud of you.Now on Nuhu Ribadu you are saying what some Nigerias say in his favour but you forget so soon how he was used by Obasanjo to intimidate his opponets.I know my country Nigeria you can have the authorities in the world to frustrate your fellow human beigns but it never last.Nuhu Ribadu deserves what is happening to him now,any one who says he will rise again is only fooling him he can only be remembered now in the dust bin of shame.May God bless my country Nigeria.
Ebere Valentine
Yaounde Cameroon
kunle ayonrinde
24 December 2008 19:28thanks , to pm news, for keeping alert, but this matter is not yet over ,we shall see ,because the guy ribadu , to as not done something, we learnt that this present IG, was promoted without due process, then why its the time of ribadu ,its was change,you people that on top this issue,because remeber ,the SIX FEETS.
Tayo, USA
24 December 2008 19:49Good job, P.M. As for Ribadu’s issue, we have not heard the last of it because what goes around comes around. Curently, the cabals may have their way but the tide will surely turn and the truth will surface. They seem to have forgotten that he who lives in glass house does not throne stones. Ribadu certainly has his own ego and has been ill advised; a case of insurbordination is not easy to win but he should, for the records, go to court to challenge the dismissal. With God granting him long life, it will get to supreme court in 2020 by which time a new government would have been in place.
Gbenga Olumekun
24 December 2008 19:54Ribadu may have been dismissed but we the people take solace in the fact that he can not be disgraced. Several people like me might not have liked his methods but it is undeniable that he has entered the annals of Nigerian history as a man who did what no other has ever done. History will surely be kind to him even if we do not appreciate the difficult terrain in which he traversed, yet achieved such notable prosecutions. What is going on is a confirmation that in Nigeria anything goes. The thieves, rogues, the unrighteous etc are the ones who get rewards, national awards and even ministerial postings, while the humble and hard-working get sack letters and frustration. Even a man who stole billions has only been asked to pay a fine of N3.5million and allowed to go home and enjoy the rest of his lot without even a nominal jail term. If we continue like this there will be nothing to hope for except for the looters and rapists to come and rule again.
Rev Ayoba
24 December 2008 20:46Its a matter of time.Ribadu will still prosecute AIG,IG even Ibori.Its a matter of time.Mallam will rise again
y2k
24 December 2008 21:25Babangida et al are behind this because of the initial supposed investigation of mohammed babangida and mike adenuga in globacom deeds
Bright Oben
24 December 2008 22:16Ride ON P.M. NEWS. We are proud of your commitment and courage.
The year 2009 is by the conner. Please keep us informed. To have a government that is so obviously hypocritical,
We need a courageous news organization such as yours that can stand by the truth at all times.
John Pee.
25 December 2008 11:53Are you blowing your own trumpet by yourself instead of allowing the public to blow it for you?
Naayone Nkpah
25 December 2008 15:54Rubadu should pray to God , because people are praying for him too. And I know God will see him through. the same knife will cut the inspector general of police. unless he turns back from his evil ways, and follow the constitutions of Nigeria.Amen
Elias (USA)
25 December 2008 17:57We all know what Ribadu stands for in contradistinction to what the Nigerian Police is and will always be. The bane of corruption started with the Nigerian Police and to have someone like Ribadu in that institution is an aberration and those in charge will rather dismiss, humiliate and even kill him for the doing the opposite. He definitely was doing the right thing from the wrong place. But certainly, the Nigerian people know why Ribadu was kicked out of the stinking room of corruption. The devil, like the christians will say, is fully in charge in Nigeria surrounded by messengers of death. looters, and lawless ambition
Babatunde Ayeni(UK)
25 December 2008 18:28I disagree with ur fnal conclusion here as a credible tabloid. This paper is pro-OBJ. Any comment against the misrule and 8 wasted years of Obasanjo would never be published. I had once accused ur paper on this.
Adeyemo Gbemiga
25 December 2008 20:26Beeni. Happy new year