Socio-economic activities in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, were disrupted on Monday, July 2, 2018, as hundreds of Mobile Policemen posted to the troubled area took to the highways to protest seven months of non-payment of their allowances.
The aggrieved policemen, who blocked the Maiduguri-Kano Highway, also accused the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, of "selling promotion to those who have connections", according to Sahara Reporters.
They sang songs of rebellion, chanting 'IG is corrupt!' 'IG is a thief!' 'Where are our allowances?' 'Buhari is a good man but IG has eaten our allowances!' 'Buhari must hear this!'
All the public schools around the Borno State Police Command were forced to join their protests, abandoning their academic activities. The schools include Ramat Polytechnic, Government College, Sir Kashim Ibrahim College of Education and Umar Mustapha Arabic College.
The leader of aggrieved policemen who craved anonymity said many could no longer perform their duties as fathers.
"We have about 50 squadrons here. We are all visiting mobile policemen. Can you imagine that we have not been paid our allowances for seven months? Some of our personnel here lost their children simply because they could not afford health services.
"Just go inside the commands, you would see where some of our personnel have been sleeping for months. They brought us here for special service but we have subjected to slavery here. Soldiers are receiving their monthly allowances plus three meals per day, but we don't enjoy such. We demand explanations," the cop declared.
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The policemen lamented that since their arrival in Borno state, “they had been subjected to inhumane treatment by IGP Idris”.
They called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the IGP for “his role in the corruption and backdoor promotion” in the command.
"We want President to know our plight and address it," another policeman said. "We also want the President to investigate those who are buying promotion and it should be reversed," the aggrieved cop said.
The IGP had shunned Senate invitation to brief Nigerians on the actions of the Police aimed at addressing the killings in the country three times in a row.
'No protest in Maiduguri'
But, Police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, says there was no protest in Maiduguri.
In a statement made available to , Moshood said all policemen posted to the state were at their duty posts and not on protest ground.
"The Force wish to categorically state that it is not correct that police personnel protested in Maiduguri today, 2nd July, 2018. Some of the Police Mobile Force personnel on Special Duty in Maiduguri went to the Borno State Police Command Headquarters on enquiry over the delay in the payment of their special duty allowance in the early hours of today and not on protest as reported in some media.
"The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni promptly directed the Commissioner of Police, Borno State to address and inform them why there is delay in the payment of their special duty allowance, and also assure them that since the budget has been approved, the allowances will be expeditiously processed and paid without any further delay. They subsequently returned to their duty posts," the statement said.