By Aruga Joe Omokaro

The battle for next In­spector-General of Po­lice (IGP) is taking new dimension, as former IGP Sir Mike Okiro and other retired officers are stressing on the implication of appointing a junior officer as the next IGP.

Speaking with Crime Track­er on phone on Tuesday, Okiro said, “there is nothing wrong if the President picks from the rank of Deputy Inspec­tor-General of Police (DIG). Ir­respective of tribe or religion, he should pick a capable hand. But not a junior officer because those that may be forced to re­tire have the experience and it is not healthy to just ask them to retire.”

Also speaking in the same vein, a retired DIG from Katsi­na State, DIG Yakubu Moham­med said on phone that, “it is not healthy to appoint a junior AIG (Assistant Inspector-Gen­eral of Police) because many AIGs who are senior to the ap­pointed IG would be forced to retire The next IG should not be appointed based on ethnic or on religion basis but an officer who has the experience. There is genocide going on the north. I did not really want to talk because you can only give an advice when your advice will be valued. He opined that, if possible, “the judiciary system should be applied in appointing IGs.”

He noted that, in the judi­ciary, the most senior judge is appointed when the incumbent judge retires.

Toeing the same ideology, an aide to chairman of Police Ser­vice Commission (PSC), retired Commissioner of Police (CP) Dr. Yinka Balogun from Ogun State said:

“It is not ideal to appoint a junior AIG. Of course the Constitution states that an IG must be appointed not below the rank of an AIG. But it is not healthy to appoint a junior AIG because the new IG may want to retire all those ahead of him. And if he needs an advice in a particular area, he may not get it because one of those retired may be the one who has the an­swer to the problem.”

There had been intense lobbying for more than three months, over who succeeds the incumbent IGP Mohammed Adamu, who is statutorily due for retirement on February 1, next year 2021.

A lot of intrigues have been manifesting on the next IGP.

The crisis became height­ened last month, when Ada­mu promoted former Force Secretary, an Assistant Inspec­tor-General of Police (AIG) Us­man Alkali Baba to the rank of acting Deputy Inspector-Gener­al of Police (DIG), and deployed him to head “A” Department, the most senior department.

By his promotion, Alkali is heading existing DIGs.

We exclusively reported this supposed anomaly last month titled, Outrage At Police Force Headquarter As AIG Heads DIGs.

The DIGs are Aminchi Baraya, Taraba, who is due for retirement on February 1, 2021 Anthony Michael Ogbizi rep­resenting South South region from Cross River, due for stat­utory retirement on February 1, 2021.

Celestine Okoye, from Anambra representing South East due for retirement on De­cember 22, 2020. Another DIG is Lawal Shehu, from Katsina State, also due on December 24-12-2020.

Others are: Abdul Dan­wawu from Kano who has re­tired on 26-10-2020; DIG Adeleye Oyebade, from Lagos State due on, 01-02-2021.

However, Okoye, Oyebade and Ogbizi have submitted let­ters of retirement last month and have proceeded on retire­ment leave.

Investigations reveal that the new Police Act stipulates that only officers who have up to four years and above should be appointed IGP as contained on Section 7(6), while for retire­ment age or length in service is on section 18(8).

Among 22 AIGs on a seniority basis, Usman Alkali Baba from Borno State, has less than four years in service. He is due for retirement 01-03-2023.

He is followed by Tijani Baba who also has less than one year to go, 08-10-2021.

Others are Karima Hassan, Taraba – 08-01-2021; Ibrahim Lamorde, Adamawa – 01-02- 2021; Mohammad Mustapha, Borno – 01-02-2021; David Oye­banji, Oyo – 21-11-2021; Zanna Mohammed, Borno – 26-11-2022; Nkpa lnakwu, Cross River – 01- 02-2021; Moses Jitoboh, Bayel­sa – 10-06-2029; Jonah Mava, Adamawa – 01-02-2021; Olush­ola David, Lagos – 01-02-2021; Yunana Babas, Bauchi – 01-02- 2021; Dan-William Mohammed, FCT Abuja – 18-12-2023; Sanusi Lemu, Niger is 31-01-2023; Armed Iliyasu, Kaduna – 27-05- 2021; Zaki Ahmed, Kebbi, 15-02- 2022; Gwandu Abubakar, Kebbi – 01-01-2022; Zama Senchi – Kebbi – 05-10- 2022; Bello Zadiq, Kebbi – 20-11-2022; Austin Agbonlahor – Edo – 30-08-2021 and Lawan Ado, Kano, 27-03-2021.

Among the AIGs from the North, only Alkali Baba, Sa­nusi Lemu and Dan William Mohammed have up to three years more in service.

If Buhari has to appoint­ment any officer from the north, he will have to pick one of the three officers.

If he picks a junior AIG either from the north or from the south, over 35 AIGs would be forced to retire prematurely.

Another retired senior offi­cer from the north told Satur­day INDEPENDENT on phone that, “that idea is not helping the system, because many of them were trained and have proven ability to perform. And you just retire them, it discour­ages and does not encourage patriotism.”

And in the south, only Mo­ses Jitoboh has more than four years to serve among the first 25 AIGs on seniority basis. If he is appointed, only two AIGs would be forced to retire, or retain them. That will favour majority AIGs, who will still be in service.”

Meanwhile, the IGP Mo­hammaed Adamu last Friday paid unscheduled visit to the chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC) Alj Musiliu Smith a retired IGP, in his office.

Details of the closed-door meeting were not made public, but a source at PSC disclosed that, “it was a mutual meeting, both of them came out of the meeting with cheerful faces.”

Also at Force Headquarters, a senior officer who does not want his name in print con­firmed the meeting. He said, “we were very happy that he (IGP) was there. We are now confident that, those of us due for promotion that have been delayed since July will now be promoted. There is now peace between them.”

It will be recalled that the IGP and Chairman of PSC had been at loggerhead over power supremacy, especially in rela­tions to recruitment. The im­broglio resulted into litigation.

A source at Force Headquar­ters opined that, “the IG is al­ready aware that his tenure would not be extended maybe that was why he went to rec­oncile with the chairman, so that his candidates would be promoted next (this) week.”