By Kelechi David
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Usman Alkali Baba as the acting Inspector-General of Police.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi communicated the President’s directive to Journalists at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.
Alkali, who was a Deputy Unspector-General of Police until his appointment, will replace Mohammed Adamu.
The President said that Alkali’s appointment is with immediate effect.
Buhari had on February 4 extended the tenure of Adamu as the IGP for three months.
Adamu, who was appointed in 2019, had clocked the mandatory thirty-five years in service on February 1 and was expected to have been replaced by another Officer.
His tenure extension had elicited widespread criticism and a resultant lawsuit.
A legal practitioner, Maxwell Opara had taken the IGP to court, contending that by virtue of section 215 of the Nigerian constitution and section 7 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, he cannot continue to function as the IGP, having retired as a serving member of the force.
In his defence, the IGP had told the Federal High Court that the new Nigeria Police Act gave him a four-year tenure, which would only lapse in either 2023 or 2024.
Supporting Adamu’s position, President Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami had said the law permits the IGP to remain in office.
