penultimate Saturday (November 22, 2008), President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s claim to running a government which has respect for the rule of law received serious dent as the former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a deputy Commissioner of Police, was forcefully prevented four graduating at the National Institute for policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSs) Kuru, near Jos, Plateau state capital.

Although the crime bursting czar had completed his studies among his Senior Executive Course 30 participants, Police authorities harassed him out of the venue of the ceremony in the presence of his family members including wife and children.

It would be recalled that the Police Service Commission (PSC), had earlier, in the life of the Yar ‘Adua administration, demoted Ribadu from Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) to DCP, an act it defended on the grounds that the promotion carried out by former president Olusegun Obasanjo lacked due process. Even then, the police had also stated that Ribadu was being sent to NIPSS on the grounds that he needed to be schooled in line with his AIG status.

When therefore he was demoted to DCP, the police could not summon the courage to withdraw him from the college.

Perhaps, they waited for November 22 to do so, thoroughly embarrass him as they really did.

But what is the crime of Ribadu? Many Nigerians are wont to ask. Have the police not exposed their fury in the way they are dealing with a matter in the court of law? Ribadu had earlier gone to court to enforce his rights.

Already, the president has directed a full scale investigation into the matter, claiming that it was not aware of the order from above, which denied Ribadu the right to participate in the graduation ceremony. A statement from the office of the Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, who also is the chairman of the governing council of NIPSS, expressed dismay at the development. Jonathan also ordered the immediate release of Ribadu’s certificates.

Strangely, Police authorities appear to be acting in reverse of the presidential order as they have constituted a panel to try Ribadu. The panel is headed by Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). According to the police, Ribadu has to explain why he took his employers (Police) to court over his demotion; why he had refused to dorn police uniform since his demotion, including the day he appeared before the president alongside his course 30 colleagues. They had accused him of insubordination.

Despite the efforts being made by the police to justify their actions and the presidency to dissociate itself from the NIPSS saga, some Nigerians are not fouled by their claims.

To most Nigerians, Ribadu is simply paying for his alleged sin of fighting corruption with all his heart and might.

Such Nigerians are at pains to know why an officer of the Republic, who had served his country, meritoriously should be so publicly disgraced. They insist that Ribadu’s current travails optimise the deceit in the so-called war against graft.

Under Ribadu, some notable Nigerians who were alleged to have been involved in corruption were not spared. They included Mr. Tafa Balogun, a former Inspector-General of Police (IG), who was jailed for corruption; Chief Diepreye Alameyeseigha, former governor of Bayelsa State, who was also jailed for corruption and the late Maurice Ibekwe, a former member of the House of Representatives, who died in detention. Many of them had their loot confisticated by the state, including Chief Emmanuel Nwude, whose property worth several billions of naira was seized by the state. He was alleged to have duped a Brazilian bank of 242 million dollars.

All these were carried out during the imperial reign of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. The period also witnessed the harassment of Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jr., chairman of the Adenuga Group, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a host of others, who were perceived to be members of the opposition or those who lost favour with Obasanjo.

Perhaps, the greatest undoing of Ribadu was the actions he took under President Yar’Adua. He did not ascertain the readiness of the presidency to fight corruption. Many insist that it was the worst case of indiscretion by Ribadu.

Indeed, he hinted that some 31 governors were allegedly involved in corruption during the time of Obasanjo and that the EFCC was going to arrest and prosecute them as soon as they lose immunity upon handing over on May 29, 2007. He went ahead with the threat by arresting and prosecuting some of former governors including Chief James Ibori of Delta, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Edo; Alhaji Saminu Turaki, Jigawa; Rev. Jolly Nyame, Taraba; as well as Chief Joshua Dariye of Plateau state. Analysts say it was the attempt by Ribadu to prosecute these cases that had put him where he is today.

Yet, one thing appears ominous about all these. Is it possible for those prosecuting the war on corruption to actually do it with the missionary zeal employed by Ribadu? Observed insist that the Yar’Adua administration may be in for a hard task to convince even the most casual onlooker that it is genuine in its war against corruption.