Police Commissioner Senchi helped APC rig 2019 elections in Jigawa

A former governor of Jigawa State and a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Sule Lamido, said the Jigawa State police commissioner, Bala Senchi, colluded with the All Progressives Party (APC) to rig the just concluded elections in the state.

He said the police boss unjustly arrested and detained over one hundred members of the PDP in the state, including his aide on new media, Mansur Ahmad, during the presidential, governorship and state of assembly elections.

“The police framed up my media aide. They planted INEC specimen ballot papers on him on the election day. He was handcuffed and sent to prison, and his picture went viral on the internet,” Mr Lamido, said.

“During the elections, the police commissioner became partisan and turned to (an) evil demon unleashing terror on innocent voters for identifying themselves with the PDP. I wish he would live long to reap the evil things he has done to us. May he and his family never experience peace, in return for what he did to the people of Jigawa”

Mr Lamido said this late Thursday, at his residence in Dutse, the state capital, shortly after he hosted a stakeholders meeting with members of the PDP across the state, who reviewed on the outcome of the general elections in the state.

He stated that, the police commissioner was transferred out of the state, but the governor, Mohammad Badaru, quickly reacted and ran to Abuja and halted the movement because he needed him to rig the election in favour of the APC in the state. “He has done his assignments perfectly,” Mr Lamido said.

He gave an instance, in Gantsa town in Buji Local Government Area, where an aged man and his wife, including two of their children studying at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, were incarcerated by the order of the police commissioner in the state just because they stood up in defence of the PDP in their locality.

Also in Garki Local Government Area, a PDP agent was manhandled with the aide of the police after he protested an incidence of over voting in a polling unit, and the results was later recorded to the APC.

“APC in Jigawa cannot justify the votes they got in the elections, judging by the poor performance of the governor, Mohammad Badaru in his first time in office. Jigawa only witnessed few substandard projects that can’t stand the test of time in comparison to the projects executed by the PDP led administration in the state.

“The police manhandled and intimidated members of the PDP. They chased people and went away with PDP agents, together with the ballot box. During the elections, the police provided a security guard to an APC chieftain, Isa Gerawa, moving in a heavy motorcade of security personnel buying votes and intimidating our party members.

“Before, during and after the elections in Jigawa, we got over five hundred reports cases of police brutality, harassment and intimidation, the police commissioner ordered that any political cases in the state must be reported to his office and that’s how he worked for the APC in the state.

“We have petitioned the police IG and police service commission including the human right commission. We wrote to them that the police commissioner is unprofessional, ungodly and evil, he is more APC than the president, Muhammadu Buhari. He has brought so much pain and anguish to families in Jigawa and we pray to God almighty to punish him the way he punished innocent people in the state, Sule Lamido said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on February 6, how the acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, redeployed over 50 senior officers.

The Commissioner of Police in Jigawa State, Mr Senchi, was affected by the exercise. His replacement in the state, Rabiu Ladodo, is yet to report at his new duty post, leading to speculations of political interference.

Police Commissioner Reacts

Mr Senchi, reacting to the allegations, however, said, “It is not a question that deserves an answer, because I’m only answerable to the acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu. Only he decides where I should be and that’s why I’m still in Jigawa. Nobody can come forward to say I am supposed to move from the state.

“It is the prerogative of the Inspector General. I am not the only person that the posting affected but are yet to report. May be it’s because the IG sees us capable of running the state. I don’t really know why they want to be move out of the state. I have never done anything contrary to my duty. I always invited them, the PDP on whatever steps we’re going to take in Jigawa.

“All the arrests the police made in Jigawa was the reason why the state recorded a peaceful election. Many have called to congratulate me from both sides. They were very happy with our action and deeds during the election. The election in Jigawa has been peaceful. Only three persons were arrested.”

He said all the allegations against him are unfounded, “because it’s only when the results have been announced, the opposition have to blame somebody. They find me a soft target, as the police commissioner, to put the blame on me.

“It’s only after the results have been announced that somebody will come over with such allegations. It is very unfortunate that somebody will say those blatant lie against me,” the police commissioner said.

On the allegation that Mr Badaru’s contractor, Isa Gerawa, was moving around with heavy motorcade of security personnel, buying votes and intimidating members of the opposition, the PDP, the police boss said, “It is not possible for a businessman to be working with the police on the Election Day because we withdrew all our policemen attached to personalities. Though, I cannot be everywhere, I called the officer in charge of operations there. He confirmed to me that such a thing never happened.”