RINGIM SACKED, MD ABUBAKAR TAKES OVER

Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim

Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim has been directed to proceed on a premature retirement signaling the end of his reign as Inspector General of Police.

He is to be replaced by Zamfara Born Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, an Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of zone 12, regarded as a “fanatic.”

Pointblanknews.com had exclusively reported recently that MD Abubakar who was indicted by a Jos Crisis Panel headed by Justice Niki Tobi would take over from Ringim.

In a White Paper released in Jos, the panel suggested that Abubakar should be dismissed if he refuses to retire.

The panel said: "Religious fanatics should not be posted to head state police commands. The commission recommends that for his ignoble role during the September 2001 crisis which resulted in the loss of lives, the former Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, Alhaji M.D. Abubakar, be advised to retire from the Nigeria Police Force and in the event of his refusal to do so, he should be dismissed from the service."


It is not immediately known if the Government will have a change of heart based on the report of the Niki Tobi panel but sources at the police Headquarters told Pointblanknews.com that members of the police prefer a more vibrant IGP who can bring back the morale in the force.

“This is like moving from one Boko Haram to another Boko Haram. We prefer a vibrant officer, someone with no blemish but look at the person we will be dealing with now. He is even more fanatical than Ringim,” the source who would not want to be named told Pointblanknews.com.

Under the leadership of Ringim, Boko Haram, the Islamist Sect threatened and bombed different states in the North exposing the inadequacies and inefficiencies of the Police hierarchy.

A major suspect in the Christmas Day Bomb attack at the Madalla Church, Suleja Niger State, Kabir Sokoto, also escaped in a questionable circumstances.

Mr. Abubakar  who is expected to resume anytime from now was born May 5, 1958 and hails from Guzau local government area in Zamfara State. He holds a diploma in public administration.

He joined the police force on July 30, 1979 and was promoted to the position of AIG on November 30 2006. He is due for retirement in 2014.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has also approved the retirement of all Deputy Inspectors General of Police with immediate effect. These are: Mrs. Ivy Uche Okoronkwo, DIG POL 2i/c Force Headquarters, Abuja, Mr. Azubuko J. Udah, DIG Administration (“A” Dept), Mr. Sardauna Abubukar, DIG Training (“E” Dept.); Mr. Audu Abubakar, DIG Operations (“B” Dept); Mr. Saleh Abubakar, DIG Works (“C” Dept.) and Mr. Mohammed A. Yesufu, DIG Planning and Info-Tech (“F” Dept.).

The President has also established a Special Committee to oversee the urgent reorganization of the Nigeria Police Force. The committee is to be chaired by the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Parry B.O Osayande, DIG (rtd).

Other Members of the Committee are:

1.      Mr. Casimir T. Akagbosu, AIG (rtd.), mni

2.      Mr. Bashir A. Albasu, AIG (rtd.), fwc.

3.      Major Gen. S.N. Chikwe, rtd.

4.      Prof. S.D. Mukoro

5.      Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN

6.      Aisha Larai Tukur

7.      Solicitor General of the Federation

8.      Permanent Secretary, SSO, Office of the SGF to serve as the Secretary to the Committee

The Committee’s Terms of Reference are as follows:

1.      To identify the challenges and factors militating against effective performance in the Nigeria Police Force and make recommendations for addressing the challenges.

 2.      To examine the scope and standard of training and other personnel development activities in the Police to determine their adequacy or otherwise.

3.      To determine the general and specific causes of the collapse of public confidence in the police and recommend ways of restoring public trust in the institution.

4.      To examine records of performance of Officers and Men of the Nigeria Police Force with a view to identifying those that can no longer fit into the system due to declining productivity,  age, indiscipline, corruption and/or disloyalty;

5.      To make any other recommendations for the improvement of the Nigeria Police Force.

The Committee’s recommendations shall be implemented along with those by previous committees set up by Government on the reform of the Nigeria Police Force.