Minister of Police Affairs Maigari Dingyadi, says the three-month tenure extension granted to outgoing Inspector-General of Police Muhammad Adamu was terminated following completion of selection process for a new I-G.
Dingyadi has earlier announced the appointment of Deputy Inspector- General of Police (DIG) Usman Baba as Acting Inspector-General of Police..
The appointment of Usman was with immediate effect.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari had on Feb. 4 extended the tenure of Adamu as the IGP for three months.
Adamu, however, spent two months and three days of the extended period.
Reacting to why the president did not allow the outgoing I-G to last the three months of his extension, the minister:
“The 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,” he said.
Dingyadi explained that the appointment of the acting I-G followed a thorough check of a shortlist of suitably qualified police officers from the rank of DIGs and AIGs.
He said all the shortlisted candidates were police officers, eligible for appointment as I-G, in line with Section 7, Sub-section 2 of the Nigeria Police Act (2020).
”The tenure of the I-G Mohammed Adamu, which ended on February 1, 2021, was extended by theP president to enable a detailed process of appointing a new I-G, in line with Section 15 (A) of the 1999 Constitution.
”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 I-G, in line with Section 7, Sub-section 2 of the Nigeria Police Act (2020).