IGP Not Retiring, To Complete 4-Year Term – Federal Govt

The federal government has said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, will not be retiring midway into the general elections, as earlier expected.

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

Recall that there were reports that the IGP would be clocking 60 years on March 1, 2023, and would be expected to honour the rule that mandates public servants to go on retirement at 60 years.

However, responding to a question from correspondents on whether or not the IGP would be retiring indeed as expected, 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 letter of appointment in that regard. 

So, the issue of IG going out during this election period does not arise.

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

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

Dingyadi also disclosed that FEC approved draft bill for an Act to establish Nigeria Police Institutions, which he said is to provide legal backing to the existing training institutions across the country and not to build new ones. He also affirmed that the level of corruption within the Nigeria Police has drastically reduced.

Dingyadi explained that as part of the president’s reform of Nigeria police ecosystem, the ministry is championing police reforms with the strong backing of the presidency, and stakeholders to address observed gaps in the training and retraining of police officers. 

“We have rehabilitated and upgraded available police training institutions and facilities nationwide. Tackle lack of funding to take care of the training institutions and create a robust structure for effective management and administration of the institutions.