FG, others differ as Buhari extends IGP Adamu’s tenure

ROTIMI FADEYI and ANDREW OROLUA, ABUJA

President Muhammadu Buhari’s extension of Mohammed Adamu’s tenure as Inspector General of Police (IGP) by three months has thrown up reactions and controversies.

Adamu who ought to have left the Nigeria Police Force on February 1, after putting into the service the mandatory 35 years, had his tenure extended on Friday.

Some senior lawyers interviewed on the development said the extension is contravention of Police Act 2020, Section 7 (6) which fixes a single term of four years without an option of extension of tenure for the holder of the office of the Inspector-General of Police.

The law which the President assented to on September 15, 2020 provided that “A person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years.

“Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment , serve in the police force for 35 years or until he attains the age of years, whichever is earlier.”

Human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN), who was angry that journalists are not doing enough to seek answers from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on the propriety of Adamu’s tenure extension, said the media should ask the people in government.

“Call the AGF and find out from him whether the government has complied with the Nigeria Police Act 2020? Then if he said they have complied with the Act, I will offer my opinion.

“The problem I have is that you people continue to disturb people outside the government instead of confronting the government to do the right things,” he added.

In his reaction, a former General Secretary of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), said :”The action of the President is in violation of Police Act 2020. The Act expects a police officer to retire upon the attainment of 60 years or after 35 years in service.

“It appears that the ex-IGP has attained that position. I have read the provision of the Act and it says that only a person who is a police officer can be the IG.

“So for the President to legitimately or lawfully extend the tenure of the IG, he has to be a police officer. Unfortunately, Adamu is no longer a police officer capable of being appointed in acting or substantive capacity to head the Nigerian Police Force.

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“It would have been a different thing if for example, he is still in service as a police officer and has spent the number of years stipulated in the police Act 2020 and he is leaving office as IG by virtue of the extension of time of his tenure as IG and he remains a police officer.

In which case, the President, will be extending the tenure of a person who happens to be a police officer.

“The point I am making is that for the appointment by the President to be lawful or in sync with the Police Act 2020, Adamu has to be shown to be a serving police officer.

“Having attained the retirement age, the President can no longer by any stretch of imagination extend his tenure because he is no longer a police officer.

“So he (President Buhari) lacks the power to foist on the Nigerian Police Force, a person who is not a police officer, which is what he would appear to have done at this time.”

damu was expected to have retired on Monday, February 1 and hand over to a new IGP.

But Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, told State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa on Thursday that the extension was necessary to give room for proper selection of a successor.

He said: “Mr. President has decided that the present Inspector General, Mohammed Adamu, will continue to serve as the IG for the next three months, to allow for a robust and efficient process of appointing a new IG.

“This is not unconnected to the desire of Mr. President to, not only have a smooth handover, but to also ensure that the right officer is appointed into that position.

“Mr President is extending by three months to allow him get into the process of allowing a new one.”

When asked why the extension was coming late since Adamu was expected to have left office on Monday, the Minister remarked:“There is no lacuna, the President can decide to extend his tenure for three months.”

The Minister explained that the report saying the Inspector General has retired and left office was one of those social media stories that was difficult to control.

Adamu was expected to have retired on Monday, February 1 and handover to a new Inspector General of Police but there was no official announcement either from the Presidency or the Police Ministry.

Similarly, there was no announcement of any new Inspector General of Police by President Muhammadu Buhari who was in Daura, his home town in Katsina State as at the time Adamu was expected to have left office.