The tenure of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abubakar Mohammed in office will end on the 31st of July 2014, and as expected the race to replace him has begun.
Media reports indicates that the IGP has been suspended from office and may proceed on terminal leave, but, the reports were quickly dismissed as rumours. It was gathered that, the rumour was only a political gimmick by some who are interested in the Police boss’ job.
However, a source close to the Police affairs leadership described such reports as “warning shots for the IGP to get his affairs in order before leaving office.”
“It is not mandatory that the IGP should go on a terminal leave before he retires,” the source said. “In the past, IGP Ringim was removed on the day of his retirement, even Okiro was in office until the last day.”
An official in the Police Service Commission, Comfort Obi, also dismissed the suspension and terminal leave news info as hearsay, attesting that she saw the IGP on Friday.
“As I speak to you the IGP does not report to the Police Service Commission (PSC) but the presidency, so it is at the discretion of the President to extend his tenure or ask him to go on terminal leave,” Obi said.
“There is no way the Police Service Commission will issue a letter to the IGP, the Job of the chairman of the commission as regards the appointment of the IGP or his removal stops at the Police Council which chaired by the president.”
She explained that the PSC chairman is only a member of the Police Council so there is no way the commission is involved in the removal of the IGP.
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Suleiman Abba in charge of Zone 7, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Suleiman Fakai in Charge of Finance and Administration and DIG Michael Zuokomor in Charge of Operations have been fingered as possible replacements for outgoing Mohammed.
