Nigerians have reacted to the extension of Mohammed Adamu’s tenure as the Inspector General of Police.
The IGP’s tenure, which expired on Monday, February 1, 2021, was extended by President Muhammadu Buhari by another 3 months on Thursday.
The development was revealed to journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, who said the extension was necessary for the proper selection of a new IGP.
This came as the President also forwarded all the names of the immediate past service chiefs to the Senate for appointment as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate.
Reactions
Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has called on President Buhari to withdraw the tenure extension given to Adamu, saying it is unconstitutional. He said “in the eye of the law”, there’s no Inspector General of Police.
“What we have here is a retired Inspector-General of Police illegally occupying the office – Mr. President sir, withdraw the appointment of Mr. Adamu. Call your Police Council and appoint from one of the serving AIGs. In the eye of the law, Adamu is a retired police officer…you’re denying other members of the Nigeria Police Force who are aspiring to go up to become the Inspector-General. The President was wrong… it is illegal, unconstitutional, unconscionable, whimsical… Adamu has done his best for the country,” he said.
Reacting to the nomination of the former service chiefs, some have condemned the move, alleging that Buhari is trying to shield them from being investigated over reported killings of innocent Nigerians and other crimes against humanity.
Yinka Odunmakin, the spokesman for the pan-African and social-cultural organization, Afenifere, said the appointment of the service was a “reward for cooperating with his nepotistic agenda.”
“It is a reward for cooperating with his (Buhari’s) nepotistic agenda. We saw how our soldiers were accompanying herders to harass communities. Is that the work of our Armed forces?”
Also, Kola Ologbodiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, in a press statement on Thursday, February 4, 2021, urged the Senate to avoid the partisan model of appointment and stand on the people’s side.
“ It’s indeed sacrilegious and a horrible assault on the sensibility of Nigerians that the APC government is seeking to use ambassadorial appointments as a desperate measure to secure diplomatic immunity for the former commanders and protect them from investigation, arrest, and possible prosecution by the International Criminal Court for the atrocities committed against innocent Nigerians under their command. Our party, therefore, calls on Nigerians, across board, to unite in rejecting these ambassadorial nominations for the accused former commanders and demand that President Buhari should immediately withdraw their nominations from the Senate,” he said.