The newly appointed Acting Inspector General of Police in Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Adamu is a consummate police officer.
Born on the 17th of September, 1961 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, he joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1986, and trained at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The new IG who is married with children was an assistant inspector general of police and a directing staff at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru-Jos, before he was appointed as the police chief.
With the ultimate career objective of elevating the professionalism and capacity of the Nigeria Police Force, and transforming it into a disciplined, ruthlessly efficient and democratically accountable law enforcement agency that ensures the safety and security of the country; the new IG was an Assistant Inspector-General of Police Benin City, Edo State between 2016 and 2017 and was responsible for the overall management and operations of the Nigeria Police Force Zone 5, comprising Bayelsa, Delta and Edo State Police Commands.
Before then in 2013 — 2015, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar was the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command Enugu, and effectively led the NPF, Enugu State Command, in one of Nigeria’s most challenging security environments.
He was also a Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Kaduna State Command and was responsible for criminal investigations at the NPF, Kaduna State Command between 2010 and 2013.
Abubakar was later appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command Ado Ekiti state, and was the second in-command to the Commissioner of Police in charge of the NPF, Ekiti State Command, with responsibility for Administration.
Between 2007 — 2010, he was the Director in charge of Peacekeeping and Training at the NPF Headquarters Abuja, and superintended the NPF’s Peacekeeping and Training directorate at Force Headquarters.
The Acting IG was between 1990 — 1997, a Detective, at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Lagos, and served as a detective for several years amongst the crème de la crème of NPF’s detectives at the legendary Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, where we resolved many serious criminal cases in Nigeria’s most complex security terrain.
Between 1988 — 1989, he was the Officer in charge of General Investigation at the NPF Zone 6 Headquarters, Calabar, and served as the Officer in charge of General Investigation at the NPF Zone 6 Headquarters in Calabar, Cross River State.
He was the Divisional Crime and Administrative Officer at Mgbidi, Imo State between 1987 — 1988, a cadet superintendent between 1986 — 1987.
The new IG is a graduate is a 1983 Graduate of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nigeria with BSc (Hons) Geography; did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Wamba, Nasarawa State in 1984, and holds a Master of Science (MSc) in International Criminal Justice Systems University of Portsmouth, England in 2010.
He was a Geography tutor and later promoted Vice Principal at Government Day Secondary School, Gunduma, Keffi, Plateau State, presently in Nasarawa State.
Between 2012 — 2014, he was Vice President, the international police (INTERPOL) in Lyon, France and was later elected as INTERPOL’s Vice President responsible for Africa at its meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Promoted to the post of Director, National Central Bureau and I-24/7 Global Communication System and Development, during his secondment from the NPF to the INTERPOL, he was the first ever African to be made director since the INTERPOL was created on 7th September 1923.
In 2018, he was honnoured with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in International Relations from Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Enugu State, and was voted the Best Commissioner of Police in Community Policing in Nigeria in 2015.
A nature lover in tune with international affairs, loves socializing, and plays squash and badminton, the new IG has always maintained that he wants a Nigerian Police Force that habitually operates within the rule of law, and is respected and admired by its peers and the people it serves.
Prince Meshack Idehen, Publisher of www.meshackdaily.com sent in this piece from Washington DC
