With the 3 Months extension of the tenure of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, indications have emerged of top Police Officers jostling to replace him at the expiration of the 3 Months extension.

The Inspector General Police was due to retire on 2nd February, 2021 but got his tenure extended for 3 Months by the appointing authority, the President.

The 3 Months extension will expire in May, 2021 when a New replacement is expected to emerge.

The new Police Act assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari in September, 2020 stipulates that a person to be appointed Inspector General of Police shall be a senior police officer not below the rank of an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).

It also says such a person must have an academic qualification of not less than a first degree or its equivalent in addition to professional and managerial experience.

While others have gathered sufficient experience, skills and competence needed for the job by merit, others have resort to cheap propaganda and unhealthy sentiments to get undue sympathy.

A report from dailytimes.ng dated 29th March, 2021 written by Aruga Joe Omokaro indicates that Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Moses Jutoboh from Bayelsa State, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Dasuki Galadanchi from Kano State and Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Ciroma from Yobe State are eyeing the position to be possible replacement if the extension of tenure of the present IGP terminates.

As for CP Bala Ciroma, his rank by virtue of Provision of the Police Act will hinder him and he has not attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategy Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Plateau State which is a requirement for the IGP position.

The appointment of an Inspector General of Police is at the discretion of the President and based on merit not State of origin of the officer involved.
Other existing appointments from the State of a prospective officer cannot hinder his/her appointment as IGP as long as he is competent, has the capacity and meet the requirements of the Police Act 2020.

If the next IGP is to be from the same State with a serving Service Chief, no constitutional provision is being contravened as some persons are insinuating.

The appointment of a deserving officer and the retirement of others has no effect on the actualization of the mandate of the Nigerian Police as it is being circulated by propagandists.

The President must apply wisdom considering the security challenges being witnessed in the Country and it behoves on him to make a good choice of someone who will bring both his/her operational and field experiences to bear to achieve the mandate of the Nigerian Police.

Someone who has been a DPO, Area Commander and has served in the operational department of the Police Force should be chosen to man the very sensitive security outfit.
This will make him/her ready to confront the daunting challenges considering the operational and field experience gathered over time.

Available records from research conducted have it that DIG Moses Jutoboh who is also jostling for the position has never been a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Area Commander and lack the required operational and field experiences to carryout the duties of the office of an IGP creditably well.

The President should be cautious in his choice of the New IGP and ensure that someone with operational and field experiences, good moral standing and capacity is appointed as the next IGP since he reserves the exclusive power to do so in conjunction with the Police Service Commission.

Sentiments should not be attached but the appointment should be based on meritocracy not mediocrity or sentiments being fronted by certain persons.

A patriotic officer who can deliver should be appointed the IGP upon the expiration of the extended tenure of the present IGP.

The President should not be cowed into appointing an Officer without the needed operational and field experiences as IGP.

He should as much as possible avoid those propagating hate, divisiveness, disaffection, disunity and other primordial sentiments in his choice for a possible replacement of the present IGP.

They will retire moses jutoboh to appoint one the northerner..dem do am mathew seyifa of dss.