President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday named an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, as the acting Inspector-General of Police. Abba, who until his appointment was the AIG in charge of Zone 7, takes over from Muhammed Abubakar, who proceeded on statutory retirement on Thursday. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, who confirmed the change of guard in the police top echelons in a statement, said Abba’s appointment would take effect from Friday (today).
Read the statement after the break …
“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the appointment of AIG Suleiman Abba as the acting Inspector-General of Police. “AIG Abba, currently the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, comprising Abuja, Kaduna and Niger states, replaces the incumbent Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, who proceeds on statutory retirement today having completed 35 years in service. “The incoming Inspector-General, a lawyer, hails from Jigawa State and is an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies.
“Positions previously held by him in the Police include Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, FCT Command; Deputy Force Secretary, and Commissioner of Police, Rivers State. “His appointment is with effect from Friday, August 1, 2014.” The former IG had led Abba to a private meeting with the President shortly before his appointment was made public.
In an interaction with State House correspondents after the meeting, Abubakar thanked Nigerians for their support.He described the position of an IG as challenging but said the experience was worthwhile. He said as somebody who had been in the police for quite some time and very experienced, he expected his successor to take the police to the next level.