Will President Muhammadu Buhari replace the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, who is billed to retire Monday, February 1, after clocking 35 years in service or extend his tenure?
The answers hung in the balance on Sunday as the presidency kept mum over the fate of Adamu and his would-be successor.
Although efforts by THISDAY to know the next step in the management of the police with Adamu’s impending retirement from presidential spokespersons Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu proved abortive, a presidency source said the situation was fluid as the president could take a decision at any moment.
But amid the uncertainties, the process of picking the next IG has continued as Buhari has ordered the Police Service Commission (PSC) to expand its list of candidates from which he will pick the successor.
A top government official confided in THISDAY that the president made the demand at a recent meeting with PSC officials, led by the Chairman, Mr. Musiliu Smith, a retired IG, where he was presented a shortlist.
However, as the race to succeed Adamu hots up, influential blocs have intensified lobbying to ensure the emergence of their preferred candidate.
A source said Northern leaders, including a powerful emir in one of the states in the North-west, were rooting for one of the newly-promoted Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIG), Dasuki Danbappa Galadanchi from Kano State, to take over from Adamu.
If the president bows to their pressure, it was learnt, a total of 23 Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) and AIGs would be retired.
By his service records, Adamu, who enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on February 1, 1986, is due to retire today, having attained the mandatory 35 years of service.
Though some powerful forces are said to be rooting for the extension of his tenure till November 9, 2021 when he will attain the age of 60 years, some powerful Northern leaders, including traditional rulers, are also said to be lobbying for Galadanchi to succeed Adamu.
To accommodate the choice of the northern leaders in the list of candidates, President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have directed the Police Service Commission (PSC) to expand the list of the potential candidates to include the newly promoted AIG.
THISDAY’s investigation revealed that northern leaders weekend sustained a powerful lobby for the appointment of an Inspector-General of Police from the North-west.
The lobby, which commenced some weeks ago is seeking to displace AIG Moses Jitobo, the most qualified candidate with over eight years left in service.
THISDAY gathered from presidency sources that Buhari weekend asked the Chairman of the PSC, and former IG, Musiliu Smith, to expand the list of candidates to enable him make a choice of IG.
The northern lobby group, it was learnt, had also lobbied for an expedited plenary meeting of the PSC, which approved promotions of senior police officers last week where their presumed choice of candidate, a Commissioner of Police, was promoted to AIG.
THISDAY gathered that another lobby group has also stepped up lobby for Jitobo.
The Police Act 2020 requires that a new IG would have a four-year tenure.
Section 7 (6) of the Police Act, 2020 states that “the person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years.”
By the promotion exercise carried out last week, four candidates now have four years and above and have been included in the new list submitted by PSC in accordance with the president’s directive.
The candidates include: AIG Dasuki Galadanchi from Kano State. He was promoted AIG last week.
Galadanchi, was Commissioner of Police/Executive Secretary of the Police Multi Purpose Cooperative Society, Lagos and presently acting AIG Force CID Annex, Lagos.
With his promotion, he has four more years in service.
He is favoured by the powerful lobby groups from the North.
The list also includes AIG Jitobo, who is due to retire in 2029.
AIG Habu Ahmadu, a former CP, IG’s Monitoring Unit; CP Intelligence, Force Headquarters and CP Bauchi State Command and presently CP Kano State, is also on the list.
A presidency source told THISDAY that a stakeholders’ meeting was held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where President Buhari; Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Dingiyadi, Chairman, PSC, Smith and Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, were in attendance.
“The president has directed Minister of Police Affairs and the PSC chairman to come up with an expanded list of candidates from which he can pick from,” the source said.
The initial list contained only the names of Jitobo; AIG Garba Umar, former CP Anambra and CP Interpol, who was promoted AIG last December and AIG Habu Sani.
THISDAY further gathered that the initial list did not contain the names of the AIGs promoted last week.
“The focus is on AIGs not DIGs as none of the DIGs has up to four years,” the source said.
THISDAY also gathered that the northern lobby groups have settled for Galadanchi.
“I understand that Galadanchi is the favoured candidate for the northern lobby,” the presidency source added.
It was further learnt that the PSC was yet to officially communicate to the IG on the decisions taken so far as is the practice.
THISDAY gathered that if his tenure is not extended, the IG may be summoned by Buhari on Monday as is the practice and told of his decision to pick a new IG after which the new IG will be announced.
The new IG will also be summoned to the Villa.
In some cases, in the past, the IG would recommend his successor in tandem with PSC based on the most qualified candidate.
THISDAY gathered that if any of the nine AIGs elevated last week becomes IG, 23 DIGs and AIGs would be retired.
Those promoted AIGs last week are Aminu Saleh Pai, former Commissioner of Police Kwara and Bayelsa States Command, former Force Quarter Master General and currently the Executive Secretary, The Police Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Lagos; Galadanchi, former Commissioner of Police/Executive Secretary, The Police Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Lagos and presently acting AIG Force CID Annex, Lagos; Okon Ene, former Commissioner of Police Benue and Abia State Commands, CP SARS and currently CP Explosive Ordinance Disposal, (EOD) Force Headquarters; and Abang John, former Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom State Command and presently Commissioner of Police Anambra State Command.
Others are Joseph Mukan, Former CP, Airport Command, Lagos and currently CP Rivers State; Aji Ali Janga, former CP Kaduna and Kogi State Commands and currently CP Sokoto; Mukaddas Mohammed Garba, presently CP Benue State Command; Habu Sani Ahmadu, former CP, IGP Monitoring Unit; CP Intelligence, Force Headquarters and CP Bauchi State Command and presently CP Kano State and Imohimi D. Edgal, former Commissioner of Police Lagos and Akwa Ibom States Command.
Those likely to retire are DIG Aminchi Samaila Baraya, DIG Sanusi Nma Lemu, Usman Alkali Baba, Nkpa N. Inakwu, Ibrahim Lamorde, David Oyebanji Folawiyo and Joseph O. Egbunike and DIG Dan-Mallam Mohammed.
The AIGs that may be retired include Tijani Baba, Mohammad Mustafa, Zanna Mohammed Ibrahim, Jonah Jackson Mava and AIG Olusholla Babajide David.
Others include AIG Ahmed Iliyasu, Zaki M. Ahmed, AIG Gwandu Haliru Abubakar, AIG Zama Bala Senchi, AIG Bello A. Sadiq, AIG Austin Iwero Agbonlahor and AIG Lawan Ado.
Other AIGs that may go include AIG Dandaura Mustapha, Asuquo A.A. Amba, AIG Nkereuwem A. Akpan, AIG Olafimihan Adenira Adeoye, AIG Agunbaide O. Lasore and AIG Undie J. Adie.
Others are AIG Olugbenga Adeyanju, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, BAIG Ajani Olasupo Babatunde, Awunah N. Donald, Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa, Garba Baba Umar and Isaac Olutayo Akinmoyede.
The newly-promoted Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) are: Aminu Saleh Pai, former Commissioner of Police Kwara and Bayelsa states Command, former Force Quarter Master General and currently the Executive Secretary, The Police Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Lagos; Dasuki Danbappa Galadanchi, former Commissioner of Police/Executive Secretary, The Police Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Lagos and presently acting AIG Force CID Annex, Lagos; Okon Etim Ene, former Commissioner of Police Benue and Abia State Commands, CP SARS and currently CP Explosive Ordinance Disposal, (EOD) Force Headquarters and Abang B. John, former Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom State Command and presently Commissioner of Police Anambra State Command.
Others are: Joseph Gobum Mukan, Former CP, Airport Command, Lagos and currently CP Rivers State; Aji Ali Janga, former CP Kaduna and Kogi State Commands and currently CP Sokoto; Mukaddas Mohammed Garba, presently CP Benue State Command; Habu Sani Ahmadu, former CP, IGP Monitoring Unit; CP Intelligence, Force Headquarters and CP Bauchi State Command and presently CP Kano State and Imohimi D. Edgal, former Commissioner of Police Lagos and Akwa Ibom States Command.
Kingsley Nwezeh
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