Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of the country’s Inspector General of Police, with critics blaming the decision.
After a meeting with the Nigerian President, the country’s Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi announced the tenure extension.
He said Mohammed Adamu’s tenure as IG has been extended till May, in order to give the Presidency ample time to pick a successor.
The decision has come under criticisms and has been greeted with kicks by some legal practitioners in Nigeria.
A foremost lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa described the appointment as illegal and unconstitutional.
Quoting Section 215(1) of 1999 Constitution, he said the President was wrong to ask the IG to continue this tenure after the expiration of his service years.
The section states; “There shall be an Inspector-General of Police who, subject to section 216(2) of this Constitution shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving members of the Nigeria Police Force.”
Further buttressing his points with other sub-sections of the constitution, he said the Nigerian President doesn’t have the sole right to extend the tenure of the IGP.
Section 216(2): “Before making any appointment to the office of the Inspector-General of Police or removing him from office, the President shall consult the Nigeria Police Council.”
Paragraph 27 of Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution:
“27. The Nigeria Police Council shall comprise the following members:
(A) the President who shall be the Chairman;
(B) the Governor of each State of the Federation;
(C) the Chairman of the Police Service Commission; and
(D) the Inspector-General of Police.”
From the dictates of the law as quoted above, Adegboruwa said;
From all the above:
When the tenure of a serving IGP expires on the ground of completing the mandatory 35 years of service, he cannot be asked to continue in office beyond his mandatory tenure.
“An IGP who has served the mandatory years of service ceases to be a member of the Nigeria Police Force from the date of his completion of his service. In this case, Mr Adamu ceases to be a member of the NPF from February 2, 2021.
“Under and by virtue of section 215(1)(a) of the Constitution and section 7(3) of the Police Act, 2020, only a SERVING member of the Nigeria Police Force can be appointed as IGP. Mr Adamu having completed his mandatory years of service in February 2, 2021, he cannot be appointed as IGP, from outside the force.
“The President lacks the power to reabsorb a retired police officer back into the NPF through a purported tenure extension, which is not contemplated by law.
“The President cannot appoint an IGP or extend the tenure of a retired IGP without the advice of the Nigeria Police Council, which in this case has not met to consider, let alone approve such tenure extension.
“The Federal Republic of Nigeria presently has no IGP properly so recognized by law, ” he said.
In 2019, the Nigerian President was criticised by legal practitioners in the country after news filtered out about his plans to extend the tenure of former IGP, Ibrahim Idris who had spent 35 years in service.