Ohanaeze kicks as Buhari appoints Usman Alkali Baba as Acting IGP

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has condemned the appointment of a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, as acting Inspector-General of Police. The group said the injustice of the Federal Government was responsible for the growing agitations and insecurity in the South-East.

Ohanaeze National Publicity Secretary, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, stated this in an interview, said it was most unfortunate that the President had chosen to sideline the people of the South-East in his recent appointment of service chiefs and now in the appointment of an IGP.

He said: “It is unjust and unfair to sideline the South-East in the security architecture of the country. Injustice promotes insecurity; it promotes all forms of crisis and problems. With injustice, there is no peace anywhere.

“What is happening in South-East today in form of agitations is as a result of injustice. So, we the elders are put in a great dilemma because the younger generation is attacking us and we have been telling them to hold on believing that the president would have a change of mind.

“We thought that the president would be concerned about the level of injustice, agitations and crisis we have in the South-East and would try to ameliorate these things but unfortunately, he is not thinking towards that direction. It is most unfortunate and Ohanaeze will come up with a stronger statement.”

4 DIGs to retire

However, following the announcement of Usman Baba Alkali, as the Acting Inspector General of Police with immediate effect, indications have emerged that four Deputy Inspectors General of Police (names with-held) will proceed on retirement between July 2021 to November 2021.

This is because between July and November this year, the four affected DIGs currently serving at Force headquarters would have either attained the mandatory 35 years in service or clocked 60 years of age.

There are at present seven DIGs at Force Headquarters with such portfolios as DIG Finance and Administration, DIG Operations, DIG Force Investigations Bureau, DIG Training, DIG Logistics and Supplies, DIG Training, DIG Information Technology, and DIG Research and Development.

Investigations revealed that two of the present DIGs, Ibrahim Mohammed Zanna, DIG in charge Logistic and DIG Moses Jitoboh in charge Research and Development both have upwards of three years and five years to serve in the Police force before attaining the mandatory 35 years retirement, hence they will not be affected.

Two other DIGs are expected to attain the retirement age by 2022 when they would quit the Police Force.