Police Boss Abubakar Set To Retire

•Police IG, Abubakar stepping out

•Police IG, Abubakar stepping out

•Police IG, Abubakar stepping out
•Police IG, Abubakar stepping out

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, is set to retire as there are no indications that President Goodluck Jonathan would extend his tenure.

Abubakar’s tenure expires on Thursday, 31 July, 2014, and the Police Service Commission, PSC, has already shortlisted names of DIGs  and AIGs as possible replacement.

Reports say at least 60 senior police officers who are Abubakar’s course mates would also retire this July.

Abubakar was appointed as the Inspector General of Police in January 2012. He replaced Hafiz Ringim.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said on Thursday that Abubakar is still in charge.

He debunked the rumour that the police chief has been sent on a terminal leave by President Jonathan.

“I don’t know where you people got it from; as I speak to you the IGP is on duty. If you guys have asked him to go, I don’t know where you got the power to do that,” Mr. Mba told an online news portal, PREMIUMTIMES.

“He (Mr. Abubakar) is on duty; he was on an official trip to Ghana yesterday; came back and today, he’s at the National Assembly as I speak to you on duty,” Mba said.

There was a report Thursday morning that a statement emanating from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, stated that Mr. Abubakar has been relieved of his duty as police chief.

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The report said he would be replaced by Suleiman Fakai, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Finance and Administration who will stand until a replacement for Mr. Abubakar is announced.

Mohammed Abubakar was born on May 5, 1958 in Gusau, Zamfara state and joined the police force in 1979. He obtained Advance Diploma in Public Administration from Sokoto State Polytechnic in 1993 and Diploma in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Lagos, 1995. Abubakar also obtained a Diploma in Disaster Management and Control in Israel.

He attended the General Detective Security Course of the Metropolitan Police, West London, England 1982; Police Mobile Training in Malaysia, 1983; Police Mobile Training in Gwoza, Maiduguri, 1983; and General Security and Intelligence Course at the Police Academy in Cairo, Egypt, 1986.

Other courses included Basic Intelligence Course at Military School Badagry, Lagos, 1987; General Security and Terrorism Control course at the Federal Investigation Bureau( FBI) in USA, 1988-1989, International Security Course number 9 at University of Surrey, England, 1991; Intermediate Command Course at Police Staff College Jos, 1991; Senior Command Course at the Police Staff College Jos, 1995; General Security and Intelligence Course at the Israel, Command Force, Israel, 1996 as well as Disaster Management Course at Haifa Israel in 1996.

Abubakar served as Assistant Commissioner CID, Sokoto State Police Command between 1991 and 93; ACP Federal Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja, 1993; ACP Murtala Mohammed International Airport , Ikeja, 1993-1995; Deputy Commissioner in charge of Airport Police Command, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos 1993 -1995; and DCP 2/IC Lagos State Police Command between 1998 and 2000.

Abubakar  was also Commissioner of Police, Plateau State, 2000 -2001, Abia State 2001-2002, Kwara State 2002 -2005, Kano State 2006 – 2007, Airport Command, Murtala Mohammed International Airport Ikeja 2007, and Lagos State 2008.

He was appointed as Assistant Inspector General of Police and posted to Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos State where he served between 2008 and 2010. He also worked as AIG Zone 5 Command Headquarters, Benin City between 2010 and 2011; AIG Zone 6 Command Headquarters, Calabar 2011 and AIG Zone 12 Command Headquarters, Bauchi from November 2011 until his appointment as the IGP.

Abubakar is the 16th person to hold the office of Inspector General.

Those who served as Inspectors General since Nigeria’s independence in 1960 included Louis Edet, Kam Salem, Mohammed Dikko Yusuf, Suleman Adamu, Sunday Adewusu, Etim Iyang and Mohammed Gambo. Others are Aliyu Attah, Ibrahim Coomassie, Musliu Smith, Tafa Balogun, Sunday Ehindero, Mike Okiro, Ogbonna Onovo and Hafiz Abubakar Ringim.

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