Isah Misau, the senator representing Bauchi Central at the National Assembly, has been receiving a little more attention from the media since late August, when he accused Ibrahim Idris, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and other top figures of the force, of collecting bribes, “ranging from N10m to N15m” from commissioners of police, state mobile commanders and Special Protection Units (SPU) commanders, for favourable postings.

The police fired back by claiming Misau is a deserter, for not properly resigning before leaving the force to pursue his political ambitions. However, that allegation has now been cleared, with the Police Service Commission (PDC) confirming earlier in the week that the senator indeed resigned appropriately.

But the resignation matter was not the only controversy to remember from Misau’s time as a policeman.

In April 2010, when Bala Mohammed was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), he didn’t have an Aide-de-Camp (ADC) for at least seven months due to Misau’s desperation to hold on to the post.

Ibrahim Liman, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, was the ADC posted to serve Mohammed by the FCT Police Command. But Misau didn’t allow him report for duty, as he continued mounting serious pressure on Mohammed to retain him as his ADC.

At the time, Mishau had been ADC to Adamu Aliero, the immediate past FCT Minister, as well as Aliyu Modibbo Umar, who preceded Aliero in office. Therefore, he stayed behind when Umar was removed as FCT Minister, and went underground for 55 days when Remi Babalola was the Supervising Minister of FCT.

However, when Aliero was appointed, he resurfaced. It was learnt that Misau, who was ASP when he was posted to FCT and had then risen to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), never used his new rank until then, as this would require him to go for a DSP course, which he didn’t want to attend.

Worried by Misau’s continuous refusal to leave the FCT, Haruna John, then FCT Police Commissioner, met with the new Minister over the matter. However, Misau had acted faster, going to the official quarters of the Minister to invoke ethnic sentiments as he hails from Bauchi State just like the Minister.

Having not received his new ADC at the time, the Minister was boxed to a corner, as he was careful not to offend the FCT CP, Goke Adegoroye, his own Permanent Secretary, kinsmen from Bauchi and some lawmakers whom Misau had contacted to push for his retention as ADC.

Anytime Liman, the new ADC, went to the Area 11 office of the FCT Minister with his letter of transfer, he was always told by the Minister’s Secretary  and others loyal to Mishau that the Minister was either busy or not available at the office.

The development created bad blood between the FCT Police Command and the Force Headquarters, the latter offering support to Misau, being a son of Mohammed Hamma Misau, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police.

Misau looked to be on course to elbow Liman out of his appointment — until Leadership newspaper reported the story in November 2010. It proved the end of Misau’s enforced stay as ADC to Mohammed. Not long after, Liman was allowed to assume his job as the minister’s ADC.