The President Muhammadu-led federal government has extended the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba.
The development was announced by the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, following the first Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of 2023.
He said the police chief would not retire ahead of the general elections.
He added that the police boss has received a letter of extension.
He explained that the Police Act 2020 provided that the police chief can stay in office for 4 years.
He said: “I don’t know where you got your record but let me say that by the provision of the Police Act 2020, the IG is now supposed to have a kind of four-year period and Mr. President has already given him a letter of appointment in that regard. So the issue of IG going out during this election period does not arise.”
The minister also said the rate of corruption in the Nigeria Police has diminished.
The Informant247 recalls that the president appointed Baba as the acting Inspector General of Police, IGP, on April 6, 2021.
He was confirmed as the substantive IGP by the police council on June 2021.
There have been debates on whether the police boss, who clocked 60 years on March 1, 2023, would retire in honour of the Police Act, which mandates public servants to retire at 60 or not.