Edozie Udeojo
Nigeria Daily reports that IGP Adamu was due for retirement on Monday, February 1, 2021.
Nigeria Daily reports that IGP Adamu was due for retirement on Monday, February 1, 2021.
– The tenure of Mohammed Adamu as the country’s IGP has been extended by three months
– Maigari Dingyadi, the minister of police affairs made this known on Thursday, February 4, in Abuja
– The minister said the extension would allow the selection of the right person to succeed Adamu
President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.
Nigeria Daily reports that IGP Adamu was due for retirement on Monday, February 1, 2021.
Nigeria Daily gathered that the news was broken on Thursday, February 4, by the minister of police affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister said the extension is for three months.
Dingyadi added that the decision of the president to extend the IGP’s tenure was to give time for proper selection of the new IGP.
Meanwhile, Nigeria Daily had previously reported that Maxwell Okpara, a lawyer based in Abuja, asked a Federal High Court to stop Adamu from functioning as Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP).
It was reported that the lawyer also asked the court to restrain Adamu from exercising any form of command over officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
Okpara who also joined President Muhammadu Buhari and others in the suit stated that Adamu’s tenure had elapsed on Monday, February 1, 2021, by virtue of the Police Act.
He argued that by provisions of section 215, 216 and 7 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, Adamu cannot continue to function as IG after February 1, 2021.
The lawyer wants to the court to declare that the failure of President Buhari and the Nigeria Police Council which was also joined in the suit to appoint a new IGP as at the first day of February 2021 constitutes an abdication of their duties.
In a related report, IGP Adamu said doctors should proceed to attend to victims of gunshot first before asking for any police report.
The IGP made this disclosure on Monday, January 25, when he appeared on Channel TV’s Newsnight programme.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in recent times had ordered hospitals, doctors and medical experts to reject victims of gunshot without a police report.
The force declared that treating gunshot victims is a flagrant breach of existing law, with the controversial position already resulting in the death of many victims in need of emergency treatment.
Reason for extending Adamu’s tenure
Mr Dingyadi,,while briefing journalists in the State House, said the extension was necessary to give room for the proper selection of a successor.
“Mr President has decided that the present IGP, Mohammed Adamu, will continue to serve as the IG for the next three months, to allow for a robust and efficient process of appointing a new IG,” the minister said.
“This is not unconnected to the desire of Mr President to, not only have a smooth handover, but to also ensure that the right officer is appointed into that position.
“Mr President is extending by three months to allow him get into the process of allowing a new one.”
On whether or not the president’s action has created a lacuna, the minister said there was none since he (President) can decide to extend the tenure.
He also described reports of the IGP’s retirement as a social media story which he said the government has no control over.
Extension Contravenes Police Act
By extending the IGP’s tenure, the president has contravened the amended Police Act 2020 which he personally signed into law.
Section 7 (6) fixes a single term of four years without an option of extension of tenure for the holder of the office of the Inspector-General of Police.
“A person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years,” it read.
Section 18 (8) of the Act also states that “Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the police force for 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier.”
Precedence
Mr Buhari had in the past extended the tenure of heads of military and paramilitary organisations.
The most recent are that of the immediate past heads of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) who also got tenure extensions beyond their retirement ages.
The immediate past service chiefs led by former Chief Of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin also got an extension twice after attaining retirement age.