…Vows to Provide Professional, Responsible Leadership, Civil Policing

…Calls for Citizens Partnership on Community Safety, National Interest

…Lauds Successor for His Contributions

The Acting Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mr Usman Alkali Baba, has promised to provide professional and responsible leadership to the Nigeria Police.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the ceremony marking the formal handover by the immediate past I-G, Mr Mohammed Adamu, the new Police boss said he was mindful of the yearnings of Nigerians for a policing system that would not only assure them of their safety, but also police them with civility.

He said his administration would provide the highest level of professional and responsible leadership in the Nigeria Police to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

While urging citizens to change their mindset and be prepared to work with the Police in the interest of community safety and national security, Baba said his appointment as the acting I-G was a call to national duty, particularly, at a critical time that Nigeria was experiencing increasing complex and pervasive security threats.

The acting I-G said the threats were occasioned by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping secessionist agitation and other highly organised crimes.

According to him, “much as the challenge to provide leadership in the force to address these threats may appear daunting, I am inspired by the courageous and patriotic officers in the force.”

Baba said he had no doubt that the officers would assist to advance the internal security programme of the Federal Government to restore security and return the country to the path of unity and development.

“I am inspired by the fact that, from my extensive years in service, I can confidently say that Nigeria Police is endowed with some of the finest, courageous and patriotic officers.

“I am also encouraged by the fact that the outgoing I-G laid a solid foundation and entrenched a culture of professionalism and efficiency in the force.

“This will stimulate me in my capacity as the I-G to strengthen our strategies and provide requisite leadership that will change the narrative in relation to our operational approach to the current security threats.

“As Adamu exits the force, I call on you all to join me in celebrating one of the greatest policing icons of our time.

“I want you to put on record our immense appreciation of his laudable contributions to the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.

Until his appointment, the new acting IG was a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, breaking away from the long tradition of giving the headship of the Police to an Assistant Inspector General of Police and in most cases, leading to the retirement of scores of senior officers.

The incumbent IG, Mr Mohammed Adamu, had flown to Imo state on assessment of the attack on the state Police headquarters when the news of his removal hit the airwaves.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, had summoned the State House correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday, April 6^th, 2021 to break the news.

Adamu, who got three month tenure extension from President Muhammadu Buhari on February 4. 2021, had only spent two months before he was kicked out. His removal might not be unconnected with the recent attack of police headquarters in Imo State.

The Acting IGP was born on 1st March 1963 in Gaidam, Yobe State and enlisted in the Nigeria Police on 15th March 1988.

Baba was until his appointment a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters.

He holds a Teacher’s Grade II Certificate (TC II) from Teachers College, Potiskum, Yobe State in 1980 and later obtained a BA (ED) in Political Science from Bayero University, Kano in 1985. He also has a Masters Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Maiduguri, Borno State in 1997.

Baba said his policing vision is, “To enhance Police primacy in Nigeria through the provision of a motivational and credible leadership driven by professional knowledge, ethics, emotional intelligence tools, and strategic planning and operational models that are directed at stabilizing internal security and modernizing Police operations, facilities and standards within the framework of citizens, consent, trust, and rule of law.”

Alkali who clocked 58 years on March 1, 2021 and hails from Geidam, Yobe State, was a member of course 22/2014 2014 at National Defence College.

He enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on March 15, 1988, and later became an Assistant Superintendent of Police, and then Commissioner of Police on January 27, 2013.

In 2014, he was posted to Delta State as the Commissioner of Police. He served as DIG Force CID, Force Secretary at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. He had also served in FCT as the Deputy Commissioner, Investigation and at the Staff College as a directing staff.

He was in Kaduna as the Deputy Commissioner, Administration and Assistant Commissioner, CID. He served in Ilorin as an Area Commander. At Ebonyi State, he was the second-in-command.

He had also served in Kaduna, Yola, Jos and Gombe States as divisional police officer, DPO. Alkali was a former AIG at Zone 5, in charge of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States. He is a fellow of the International War College and a member of the International Association of Police.

Meanwhile, a retired Commissioner of Police, Mr Olayinka Balogun, has hailed the choice of DIG Baba as the acting Inspector General of Police as the best transition in the Force in a long while.

Balogun, a former Edo State Police Commissioner,  said, “Alkali is a natural pick. He was the most senior DIG. No need to promote him over anybody. No grudging of any kind. He was naturally qualified.

“The first of its kind in many years. His ascendancy will not create undue premature mass retirement for any group of officers now or later, except those who will retire naturally on an age or length of service basis. So Alkali is coming in peace. May his tenure bring peace and a crime-free atmosphere to Nigeria.”

Rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has however described the appointment by President Buhari of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, as “strange”.

It said this has proved the President’s bigotry in consistently appointing only Northern Moslems since, 2015, into top internal security positions.

By the appointment, the rights group said, the “Daura-born retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari has sadly consolidated his negative ‘milestone’ as the most nepotistic Nigeria’s President ever since 1960.”

Besides, HURIWA raised alarm regarding the violation of the constitutional principle of the Federal Character principle by the overstayed Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd), in which all the management officers of the so-called Nigerian Customs Service are all Moslem Northerners.

“Reports reaching us from the Nigerian Customs revealed that Colonel Ali who has remained in office beyond the expiration of his tenure without any kind of reappointment by his kinsman President Buhari has just promoted and appointed an all-Northern Moslems dominated management for what is called in writing as Nigerian Customs Service but which in practice since five years ago has been illegally transformed to Northern Customs Service.

The rights group said with the recent rash of top level appointments by the President which fail to reflect the Federal Character principle as provided for by the constitution, it is inconceivable to believe otherwise other than to conclude that President Buhari’s sole agendum is the total Northernization/Islamization of Nigeria which will continue to breed discord, national disharmony, civil conflicts, instability and insecurity.

HURIWA suggested that maybe those controlling the top echelons of governmental positions are executing the agenda of those conspiracy theorists in the west who predicted that Nigeria will implode and collapse soon.

“Whilst the President has refused to hearken to the voice of reason and has perdured and endured in implementing pro-Islamic and pro-Northern Moslem agenda of scheming out other major ethno-religious communities from commanding positions in the core economic institutions and the defence, the restoration of normalcy, calm, tranquility and stability may take a long time to be achieved beyond 2023.

“Since 2015, Moslem northerners have dominated and controlled unconstitutionally all internal security portfolios in Customs, Immigration, Civil Defence, Prisons, Police, Army, just as the Nigerian Ports Authority, NIMASA, FIRS, Aviation agencies, Accountant General of the Federation are all in the hands of Northern Moslems of either Hausa/Fulani and a sprinkling of Kanuris.”

HURIWA said the President and most of his appointees practicing toxic nepotism and polarizing the fragile unity in Nigeria are also in breach of Sections 14(3) and 42(1) of the Nigerian Constitution.

Specifically, Section 14 in Nigerian Constitution (3).

HURIWA said that it is dangerously becoming clearer that President Buhari is actively working to destabilise Nigeria through his divisive appointments and policies.