Buhari Cancels IGP’s Retirement, Grants Him Tenure Extension

By Ayodele Oni

President Mohammadu Buhari has approved an extension of tenure for the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba.

He will not be retiring midway into the General Elections as his appointment letter extending his term in office has been given to him.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the first Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of 2023, explaining that the Police Act 2020 has changed the rules for an IGP’s retirement.

There have been speculations lately that the Police Chief, who clocks 60 years on March 1, 2023, will honour the rule that mandates public servants to go on retirement at 60.

It was rumoured that three Deputy Inspector General and some Assistant Inspector General of Police are billed to retire before the commencement of general elections.

Dingyadi said: “I don’t know where you got your record, but let me say that by the provision of the Police Act 2020, the IG is now supposed to have a kind of four-year period and Mr. President has already given him a letter of appointment in that regard.

“So the issue of IGP going out during this election period does not arise.”

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed the then DIG Baba as the Acting Inspector General of Police on April 6, 2021.

The Police Council confirmed him as the substantive Inspector General of Police on June 2021.

Dingyadi also disclosed that FEC approved the draft bill for an Act to establish Nigeria Police Institutions, which he said is to provide legal backing to the existing colleges across the country and not to build new ones.

He also affirmed that the level of corruption within the Nigeria Police has drastically reduced.

The fate of the three DIG’s and AIG’s whose tenures are at hand is not known yet.