Massive Quake In Police Hierarchy: 7 DIGs Sacrificed For New Acting IGP Muhammed Adamu

A report on Monday that Ibrahim Kpotu Idris had been retired as
the Inspector General of Police, IGP, sent shock waves across the
country, with the social media, as usual, in the lead in
disseminating the announcement. And even before the report was
confirmed, speculations were rife as to who was going to be his
successor.

Idris, it will be recalled, had been the subject of controversy
over alleged plans by the Federal Government to extend his tenure
as IGP even after reaching his retirement age. Indeed there were
spirited campaigns in several quarters, especially the opposition
Peoples Democratic Party, that the presidency should in consonance
with the enabling law retire the Police boss and announce his
replacement.

Nigerians were still reeling from the shock engendered by the
report when there was another attendant bombshell. First was the
official confirmation that IGP Idris had indeed been retired, and
then the announcement of his successor in the person of Mohammed
Abubakar Adamu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG. The
identity of the new Police boss, who will be operating for now in
an acting capacity, had triggered a quake in the Police hierarchy.
The reason for this is not far to seek. Since he was an AIG at the
time of his appointment, the implication is that seven Deputy
Inspectors General of Police, DIGs, who by virtue of their
appointment in 2018 became his seniors would inevitably be
sacrificed and made to proceed on retirement.

Affected top police officers

The affected top police officers are Deputy Inspector General of
Police Muhammad Dikko, DIG in charge of Administration; Joshak
Habila, DIG in charge of Operations; Mohammed Katsina, DIG in
charge of Research and Planning; Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, DIG in
charge of Investigations; Emmanuel Inyang, DIG in charge of
Information and Communications Technology; Oshodi Glover, DIG in
charge of Logistics; Mohammed Sani, DIG in charge of Training.

Before now four former Deputy Inspectors General of Police who
formed the first management team of the IGP Ibrahim Idris led
administration had resigned. They are DIG Foluso Adebanjo in charge
of ICT; DIG Shuaibu Gambo in charge of Administration, DIG
Valentine Ntomchukwu in charge Research and Planning, DIG Hyacinth
Dagala in charge of Force Criminal Investigation Department and
former Force Secretary, AIG Abdul Bube.

Following their retirement in 2018, DIG Dikko formerly in charge
of Logistic was moved to Administration, DIG Emmanuel Inyang
formerly in charge of Training was moved to ICT, DIG Peace Abdallah
was appointed as DIG in charge Administration, DIG Mohammed Katsina
was appointed as DIG in charge of Research and Planning, DIG Oshodi
Glover was appointed DIG Logistics and DIG Mohammed Sani was
appointed DIG in charge of Training.

Ordinarily, this should not elicit any surprise given that this
has become the pattern over the years once a junior ranking officer
is appointed as the Inspector- General of Police, all the senior
ranking officers will have to be retired.

It will be recalled that a similar scenario played out when
these seven DIGs were appointed after the retirement of 21
Assistant Inspectors General, AIGs, on July 1, 2016.

The 21 AIGs of police who were retired following the appointment
of the Ibrahim Idris as Inspection General of Police were: Bala A
Hassan, Yahaya Garba Ardo, Irmiya Yarima, Danladi Mshebwala,
Tambari Mohammed, Bala Nasarawa, Musa Abdulsalam, Adisa Bolanta,
Mohammed Gana, Umaru Manko and Lawal Tanko.

The others were Olufemi Adenike, Johson Ogunsakin, Adenrele
Shinaba, James Caulcrick, Olufefemi Ogumbayod, Edgar Nanakumo,
Kalafite Adeyemi, Patrick Dokumor, Joseph Mbu and Sabo Ringim.

No doubt, these seven Deputy Inspectors General of Police also
benefited from this systemic arrangement as some of them were
immediately elevated from the position of Commissioner of Police to
Deputy Inspectors General and later from AIGs to DIGs.

Reacting to the retirement of the seven DIGs, human rights
activist and Director General, National Coordinator Network on
Police Reform in Nigeria, NOPRIN, Okechukwu Nwanguma said: “As we
have said in the past, we need to move away from the practice of
handpicking an Assistant Inspector General, for appointment as
Inspector-General of Police, IGP, thereby forcing several Deputy
Inspectors General of Police to retire prematurely.

“It means that seniority is not followed in appointment of
Inspectors- General of Police. Presidents simply pick who they
like. When seven DIGs are forced to retire before they are due, we
waste human capital and financial resources; we wipe out
institutional memory and we waste the financial resources used in
training and retraining them over the long period of their service.
It is also not being fair to the affected senior officers.”