President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of the Deputy Inspector-General, DIG, Usman Alkali Baba as the Acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, who disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja, said that the appointment was with immediate effect.
He said that the issues of professionalism, competence and years of service were considered before the appointment.
Baba’s appointment means that Mohammed Adamu has been relieved of his duties as the Inspector-General of Police. His sack came after visiting the Imo Police Command headquarters and the Owerri Correctional Service that were burnt on Monday.
The former IGP had during his visit to the scene of the attack ordered operatives to be ruthless against members of the proscribed Independent People of Biafra.
Recall that Dingyadi had on Febrùary 4 announced the extension of Adamu’s tenure for three months.
But for his sack on Tuesday, the extension would have lapsed on May 3.
When asked why the President did not allow the outgoing IGP to last the three months of extension, the minister said, “Mr President is aware of this and you cannot take away that responsibility from him; he’s the one who is in charge of appointing or extending tenures.
“He has now decided to appoint a new person. So please allow him that responsibility and we cannot do anything about it.”
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In announcing Baba’s appointment, the minister recalled that the extension granted Adamu was to allow for a detailed process of appointing a new IGP in line with Section 15 (A) of the 1999 Constitution.
He said, “After a thorough check of a shortlist of suitably qualified police officers from the rank of DIGs and AIGs, who are eligible police officers, eligible for appointment as IGP, in line with Section 7, subsection 2 of the Nigeria Police Act (2020), and having regards to seniority, professionalism, record of service and competence, Mr President has approved the appointment of an acting IGP, in the person of Usman Alkali Baba, with immediate effect.
“These changes are in line with the determination of Mr President to rejig the security architecture of the country, to ensure that the security challenges bedeviling the nation are brought to an end.
“Mr President has therefore charged the new appointee to rise to the challenge to ensure policing reform policy of this administration is fully prioritised and implemented to enable the police to perform most effectively for the peace and security of lives and property of all Nigerians.
“Mr President thanks the outgoing IGP, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, for his professionalism and dedication to duty during the period of his tenure. He wished him all the best in his future endeavours.”
Born on March 1, 1963 in Gaidam, Yobe State, the acting IGP enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on March 15, 1988.
He was, until his new appointment, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters.
He holds a Teacher’s Grade II Certificate (TC II) from Teachers College, Potiskum, Yobe State in 1980.
He obtained a BA (ED) Political Science from Bayero University, Kano in 1985.
The Acting IGP also has a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) obtained from University of Maiduguri, Borno State in 1997.