Minister of police affairs explains why Buhari extended tenure of IGP Adamu
- The Nigerian government has justified President Buhari’s reason for extending the tenure of the current IGP
- The minister of police affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, said Buhari’s decision will benefit the police force
- However, some legal practitioners disagree with FG's position on the issue
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The Nigerian government has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari extended the tenure of Mohammed Adamu as the inspector general of police (IGP) by three months to ensure that the right officer is appointed into that position.
The minister of police affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi made the disclosure on Thursday, February 4, at a press briefing at the presidential villa, Channels TV reported.
Source: UGC
Dingyadi stated that the tenure extension was in line with the desire of the president to make sure that a competent person heads the police force.
The minister said:
“Mr President has decided that the present IGP, 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.
Premium Times reported that Dingyadi dismissed the suggestion that the president’s action has created a lacuna.
However, the extension of the IGP’s tenure has attracted criticism from some legal experts.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa described the president’s actions as unlawful.
Adegboruwa argued that when the tenure of a serving IGP expires on the ground of completing the mandatory 35 years of service, he cannot be asked to continue in office beyond his mandatory tenure.
According to him, the president lacks the power to reabsorb a retired police officer back into the NPF through a purported tenure extension, which, is not contemplated by law.
Similarly, Maxwell Okpara, a lawyer based in Abuja, has asked a Federal High Court to stop Mohammed Adamu from functioning as Nigeria's Inspector General of Police (IGP).
According to a report filed by Daily Trust, the lawyer also asked the court to restrain Adamu from exercising any form of command over officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
Okpara who also joined President Muhammadu Buhari and others in the suit stated that Adamu’s tenure had elapsed on Monday, February 1, 2021, by virtue of the Police Act.
Source: Legit.ng
