President-general, Mdzough u Tiv, Chief Iorbee Ihagh has asked the inspector general of police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba to tender an unreserved apology to the Tiv nation for publicly addressing a Tiv police officer out of the three dismissed officers as “Tiv Warrior.”
Ihagh who is also the chairman of the three main socio-cultural groups in Benue State, comprising of Mdzough u Tiv, Opiatoha K’Idoma and Omni Igede said that it is wrong and unprofessional for the IGP who is supposed to protect all citizens irrespective of tribe and political affiliation to begin to protect other tribes at the detriment of others.
According to him, ” The Tiv people have done very well as police officers in all ranks except that of the Inspector General which is a political appointment so there is no need for such stereotype.”
While frowning at the way the IGP publicly singled out the Tiv man out of the three dismissed officers he said so many police have been caught in illegal activities from different tribes, and wondered why the IGP singled out a Tiv person for humiliation.
He said the first police officer to get Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a Tiv man and asked whether the IGP singled him out to give credit to Tiv people. “Is the IG giving that position to protect a particular section or all Nigerians?” he said.
He maintained that “If the IG failed to tender an unreserved apology to the Tiv nation, he should be sacked immediately by the Federal Government for unprofessional conduct.
“Today, so many police officers including ACPs, DCPs are facing varying prosecutions for different charges, but the IG has not deemed it fit to single out any of them for humiliation but because a Tiv man is involved in a bad thing you will single him out but when it is a good thing no credit will be given to the Tiv tribe.”
