Full List of Nigeria's IGPs Since Independence as Buhari Appoints New Police Chief

Full List of Nigeria's IGPs Since Independence as Buhari Appoints New Police Chief

Nigeria's Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, attained the statutory retirement age on Monday, February 1.

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However, as Nigerians awaited the announcement of the appointment of a new IGP, President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, February 4, 2021, extended Adamu's tenure for three months.

Amid the legal tussle of the tenure extension, the minister of police affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dangyadi, announced on Tuesday, April 6, that President Buhari has approved the appointment of DIG Usman Alkali Baba as the acting IGP with immediate effect.

List of Nigeria's IGP appointed since Independence
Nigeria's current IGP, Mohammed Adamu, and some of his predecessors. Photo credit: Nigeria Police Force, Igp Suleiman Abba
Source: Facebook

As President Buhari appoints the new police boss, Legit.ng lists in the piece all the IGPs Nigeria has had since the 1960s.

1964 to 1999

1. IGP Louis Edet (1964-1966)

2. IGP Kam Salem (1966-1975)

3. IGP Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu (1975-1979)

4. IGP Adamu Suleiman (1979–1981)

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5. IGP Sunday Adewusi (1981–1983)

6. IGP Etim Inyang (1985–1986)

7. IGP Muhammadu Gambo-Jimeta (1986–1990)

8. IGP Aliyu Atta (1990–1993)

9. IGP Ibrahim Coomassie (1993–1999)

2000 to 2010

10. IGP Musiliu Smith (1999–2002)

11. IGP Mustafa Adebayo Balogun (2002 – 2005)

12. IGP Sunday Ehindero (2005–2007)

13. IGP Mike Mbama Okiro (2007–2009)

14. IGP Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo (2009 - 2010)

2010 till date

15. IGP Hafiz Ringim (2010 - 2012)

16. IGP Mohammed DIKKO Abubarkar (2012 - 2014)

17. IGP Suleiman Abba (2014 -2015)

18. IGP Solomon E. Arase (2015 - 2016)

19. IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris (2016-2019)

20. IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu (2019-2021)

21. Acting IGP Usman Alkali Baba (2021-)

Note that Baba's appointment is subject to the approval of the Council of State meeting expected to be convened soon.

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Recall that the presidency had said President Buhari would not be driven by ethnic sentiments or affiliations in his choice of a police chief.

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Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, made the statement in reaction to agitations and calls from a section of the country that the next IGP should come from the southeast.

Shehu insisted that the president would only appoint someone who will ensure the security of Nigerians is better than what has been recorded.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Nurudeen Lawal avatar

Nurudeen Lawal (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) Nurudeen Lawal is an AFP-certified journalist with a wealth of experience spanning over 8 years. He received his B/Arts degree in Literature-in-English from OAU. Lawal is the Head of the Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng, where he applies his expertise to provide incisive coverage of events. He was named the Political Desk Head of the Year (Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award 2023). He is also a certified fact-checker (Dubawa fellowship, 2020). Contact him at lawal.nurudeen@corp.legit.ng or +2347057737768.