The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 7, Suleiman Abba, is set to be announced by the Federal Government as a replacement for Mohammed Abubakar, the Inspector-General of Police, whose tenure ended on July 30, 2014.
Impeccable sources told our correspondent in Abuja that President Goodluck Jonathan had already conveyed to Abba the news of his appointment as the next IG, following his selection by the Police Council made up of the 36 state governors and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mike Okiro.
“Abba would be announced any moment from now as the next IG; in fact, the appointment has been confirmed to him personally, all we are waiting for is the official announcement by the President which may be made after the FEC meeting on Wednesday,” a source in the Presidency said,
Current IG Abubakar, from Zamfara State, enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on July 30, 1979 and was due for retirement on July 30, 2014, based on the mandatory retirement age and had been expected to proceed on terminal leave early in the month, but he had clung on, hoping his tenure would be extended.
Sources had said emphatically that Abubakar would not be granted an extension in spite of his relative achievements in the Force and efforts by Vice President Namadi Sambo, to persuade President Jonathan to extend his tenure till 2015.
The appointment of Abba as the next IG seems to have put paid to Sambo’s alleged promise and assurances to Abubakar and his dream of staying in office till after the general elections.
Investigations showed that it was only the tenure of former IG Sunday Ehindero that was extended by one year by the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo.
Abba had served as the Commissioner of Police in charge of Rivers State; Deputy Force Secretary and Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of State CID, FCT Police Command.
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