Alarm bells are ringing in connection with what is considered as a deliberate policy of the present leadership of the Nigeria Police Force headed by the Inspector General of the Police, Alhaji Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, to ensure that no police officer of Igbo extraction heads the force in about the next 10 years.

Alarmed by the shocking development, the International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety) today sent a petition to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, and Executive Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Prof. Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem to seek their urgent intervention into the matter.

The petition is copied to the Inspector General of Police himself; Chairman, Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Okiro; and Chairman of Southeast Governors’ Forum, Governor of Anambra State.

The petition, a copy of which is in the possession of News Express, was jointly signed by Intersociety’s Board Chairman Umeagbalasi and Head, Publicity Desk, Justus Ijeoma. It is entitled Unmasking “Dogari/Dansanda” Policy In The Nigeria Police Force & A Case Against Sectional Domination In Promotions & Postings Of Key Officers In The Force. Part One of the petition dated February 3, 2014 and sent from Intersociety’s head office in Onitsha, Anambra State, reads as follows:

‘In our last letter (Averting Chaos & Bloodletting In 2015 General Polls) to the Presidency and the leaderships of the National Assembly, dated 13^th day of January, 2014, one of our demands was the presidential intervention in the lopsided promotions and postings characterizing the present leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, headed by the Inspector General of the Police, Mr. Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar. Sadly, the wicked policy has not only continued, but also risen to an apogee, to the extent that one of Nigeria’s leading federating partners: Southeast geopolitical zone is in a verge of being erased in the high command hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force, through the policies of “promotion dormancy and tea-making duty assignments/postings”.

‘Except drastic constitutional measures, such as immediate intervention of the President, in his capacity as “Chairman of the Nigeria Police Council” and “Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces”, are taken urgently; otherwise, no senior police officer of Southeast extraction will occupy the rank of AIG in the immediate time and DIG in the next ten years or more, not to talk of becoming an IGP. Already, except timely presidential intervention, Southeast zone has lost the possibility of producing the next Inspector General of Police when the present IGP, Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar retires on 30^th July, 2014, having lost the headship of the Army in recent shake up in the Service Chiefs.

‘This is because no senior police officer from the zone presently serves as AIG, out of the country’s 21 serving AIGs and the only serving DIG from the zone (Emmanuel Kachi Udeoji) will retire on 9^th of September, 2014. The Southeast case is made worse by the fact that out of eight (8) serving CPs from the zone, three will retire this year (2014), three next year (2015) and two next two years (2016). The present IGP (M.D. Abubakar), who will retire in next six months (30^th July), was appointed IGP on 25^th of January, 2012. By the end of his tenure, he would have served two years and six months as IGP.

‘It is recalled that the leadership of this organization – International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law-Intersociety, had in May 2013 made two representations to the President & Commander-in-Chief over lopsided promotions and postings in the Nigeria Police Force high command(esp. ACPs to IGP), which gravely violates the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 including her Section 14 (3). The letters were predicated on promotions carried on 3^rd of April, 2013 by the Police Service Commission, which said it acted based on “IGP’s recommendations”. The seeming inaction of the President & Commander-in-Chief, emboldened the prompters and promoters of this “dogari policy”, to the extent that it has become a wicked norm in the present leadership of the NPF.

‘Since then, three sets of promotions, “on the recommendations of the IGP”, have been carried out with patently lopsidedness and gross breach of the federal character principle. In the September 27, 2013 promotions, four (4) CPs (Ballah Mogaji Nasarawa – Kebi State, Northwest), Mohammed J. Gana (Niger State, North-central), Sabo Ringim (Jigawa State, Northwest) and Edgar Tam Nanakumo (Bayelsa State, South-south) were elevated to the rank of AIG. Shockingly, no senior police officer from Southeast zone was among those promoted. The promotion exercise also involved elevation of eight (8) DCPs to CPs, seven (7) ACPs to DCPs and twenty (20) CSPs to ACPs. In the December 19, 2013 promotions, made public by the IGP on 20^th of January, 2014, AIGs Michael E. Zuokumor (Bayelsa State, South-south) and Jonathan Johnson ( Taraba State, Northeast) were made DIGs, while CPs Fana Abdullahi Salihu (Kebbi State, Northwest), Musa Abdulsalam Daura (Katsina State, Northwest) and Kakwe Christopher Katso (Taraba State, Northeast) were elevated to the rank of AIG. Out of these promotions, no senior police officer from Southeast was among. This is in spite of the fact that Southeast has two serving CPs, who have remained in the rank of CP since 2006 and 2007 respectively.

‘In the last promotions that took place on 21^st of January, 2014, six (6) DCPs were made Commissioners of Police. They are Aminchi Samaila Baraya (Taraba State, Northeast), Hurdi D. Abubakar Mohammed, (Kebbi State, Northwest), Usman Alkali Baba (Yobe State, Northeast), Tijani Baba (Yobe State, Northeast), Mohammed K. Mohammed (Katsina State, Northwest) and Victor O.E. Onofiok (Akwa Ibom State, South-south). In the above promotions, none of them came from Southeast zone. This is despite the fact that the zone has twenty (20) serving DCPs including three (3) that will retire this year (2014). Also, nine (9) ACPs were promoted to DCPs in the exercise. They are Olukolu Shina Tairu (Lagos State, Southwest), Omololu Shamsiden Bishi (Lagos State, Southwest), Isaac Akinmoyede Olutayo (Lagos State, Southwest), Tijani Babatunde Olasupo (Kwara State, North-central) and Okon Ene Etim (Cross River State, South-south).

‘ Others are Aminu Pai Saleh (FCT/North-central), Makama Usman Hamisu (Plateau State, North-central), Aminu Koji Kwabe (Adamawa State, Northeast) and Chris Mbazor (Ebonyi State, Southeast) who will retire on 26/11/2014, having been born on 03/09/56 and enlisted on 26/11/79. Eight (8) CSPs were elevated to the rank of ACP and they are Alonge Adebowale (Lagos State, Southwest), Augustina Nwuka Ogbodo (Enugu State, Southeast), Polycap Chilaka Dibia (Enugu State, Southeast), Bello Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Kwara State, North-central), David Dangiwa Dantata (Kaduna State, Northwest), Anthony Okon (Akwa Ibom State, South-south) and Babangida Adam Zannah (Borno State, Northeast).

‘Further Authoritative Findings: Our further authoritative findings from high quarters of the Nigeria Police Force have continued to show shocking lopsidedness and sectional promotions and postings of senior officers in the Force. The lopsided and despicable policy appears worst under the present IGP, Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar, who became IGP on 25^th January, 2012. According to an authoritative NPF document seen by our field team of investigators led by Emeka Umeagbalasi; a criminologist and security expert; in addition to an investigation carried out on the last promotions’ exercise of 21^st of January, 2014, there are one(1) serving Inspector General of Police (IGP), seven(7) Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), twenty-one (21) serving Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) including one specialist, eighty-eight (88) serving Commissioners of Police(CPs) including four specialists, one hundred & seventy-two (172) Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) including fifteen specialists, three hundred & ninety-eight (398) Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) including fifteen specialists and nine hundred and six (906) Chief Superintendents of Police (CSPs) including thirty-five specialists. The list of “IGP-CSPs” under reference was updated to 23rd day of January, 2014. According to the list thoroughly investigated by our team, there are a total of one thousand, five hundred & eighty-six (1,586) serving senior police officers in the Nigeria Police Force occupying the ranks of IGP to CSPs as at 31^st day of January, 2014. This is in addition to last promotions under reference (21/01/2014) per PSC (Police Service Commission) website.

‘Serving IGP & DIGs: Out of seven serving DIGs in the Force, the Northwest geopolitical zone, which produces the present IGP, Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar, also produces two DIGs in the persons of Suleiman Dauda Fakai from Kebbi State and Atiku Yusuf Kafur from Katsina State. The remaining five geopolitical zones have one DIG each and they are Abdurahaman Akano from Osun State (Southwest), Peter Yisa Gana from Niger State (North-central), Emmanuel Kachi Udeoji from Abia State (Southeast), Michael E. Zuokumor from Bayelsa State (South-south) and Jonathan Johnson from Taraba State (Northeast). The birth, enlistment and retirement dates of the IGP and the seven DIGs and their educational qualifications are as follows: 1. Mohammed D. Abubakar (IGP), birth: 05/05/58, enlistment: 30/07/79, retirement: 30/07/2014, educational qualification: Dip., Public Administration & Criminal Justice. He was promoted IGP on 25/01/2012. 2. Suleiman Dauda Fakai (DIG), birth: 01/11/59, enlistment: 01/01/84, retirement: 01/01/2019, educational qualification: B.Sc., PGD, Geography, Policy & Administration. He was promoted DIG on 22/02/2012. 3. Atiku Yusuf Kafur (DIG), birth: 07/07/57, enlistment: 08/12/82, retirement: 07/07/2017, educational qualification: B.A., Education/History. He was promoted DIG on 22/02/2012.

‘Others are: 4. Peter Yisa Gana (DIG), birth: 15/11/59, enlistment: 31/12/84, retirement: 15/11/2019, educational qualification: B.Sc., M.Sc., Policing & Public Order. He was promoted on 22/02/2012. 5. Emmanuel Kachi Udeoji (DIG), birth: 09/09/54, enlistment: 15/07/80, retirement: 09/09/2014, educational qualification: B.Sc., LLB, Sociology & Law. He was promoted DIG on 22/02/2012. 6. Abdurahaman Akano (DIG), birth: 22/06/54, enlistment: 31/12/84, retirement: 22/06/2014, educational qualification: B.A., LLB, English & Law. He was promoted DIG on 22/01/2012. 7. Michael E. Zuokumor (DIG), birth: 14/04/56, enlistment: 01/08/80, retirement: 01/08/2015, educational qualification: B.A., LLB, M.Sc., Law &History. He was promoted DIG on 15/01/2014. 8. Jonathan Johnson (DIG), birth: 23/09/55, enlistment: 03/07/79, retirement: 03/07/2014, education: Teachers’ College (Grade 11). He was promoted DIG on 15/01/2014. A careful look at the foregoing clearly shows that apart from damaging geopolitical lopsidedness, there are also no women among the seven serving DIGs in the NPF. The geopolitical representation of the seven DIGs is utterly lopsided as it is totally wrong to allow the Northwest zone that produces the present IGP to also produce two DIGs.

‘Sirs, please see part two and three of this important letter for continuation and conclusion. It is our hope that the letter in its completeness will be expeditiously looked into and issues of extreme importance raised therein addressed frontally.’

•Photo shows the accused: IGP Abubakar.

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