The appointment of Suleiman A. Abba as Nigeria’s new Inspector General of Police (IGP) has been condemned by the International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Rule (Intersociety).

The appointment, according to the frontline rights group, is “suicidal” and “amounts to presidential cluelessness.”

Abba, whose appointment was announced Thursday evening by President Goodluck Jonathan, took over from the now-retired Mohamed Abubakar yesterday with a promise to step up the war against terror.

Intersociety is, however, not impressed with his choice, as it made known in a statement entitled ‘How Mr. President Returned Nigeria Police Force to Typewriter & Ethno-Religious Policing’ released yesterday from its headquarters in Onitsha, Anambra State in South-East Nigeria.

According to Intersociety in the statement signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi Board Chairman and Head, Publicity Desk Uzo Oguejiofor, Esq., “The official appointment of AIG Suleiman A. Abba as Nigeria’s 17th Inspector General of Police amounts to presidential cluelessness. By this, Nigeria has chosen to remain in the policing of yore. Owing to primordial political interest and ethno-religious sentiments, the country has lost a great opportunity of wriggling itself out of policing cave and launching itself into policing moon. Stamping IGPship to the zone (northwest) that is one of those that despise “western education or culture” including ICT globalization is one of the most clueless decisions taken in recent times by Mr. President. The new IGPship should have been given to northeast or north-central minorities who have suffered irreparably in the hands of their majority neighbours’ oiled group butchery and brigandage. From our detailed checks, there are a good number of ICT grounded young senior police officers from the areas occupying DC and CP positions.

“Also by this suicidal presidential appointment, Mr. President has finally stamped continuation of gross lopsidedness (“dogari” policy) in the area of postings and promotions in the Force. The NPF, under AIG Suleiman Abba will continue to pursue or go after ICT bomb detonators with typewriter police officers armed with AK-47 rifles and batons. This is in the context of ‘something can never be gotten from nothing’. Mr. President has also by this clueless appointment voted for the continued use of archaic roadblocks, extortion, harassment, bribery, torture, disappearances, unlawful detention, unfair trials and indiscriminate arrests and unlawful killings as NPF weapons against common or street crimes like stealing, assault, rape, armed robbery and abduction and group crimes such as political, ethnic and religious insurgencies. It has been universally established that to effectively control and fight modern crimes, ICT policing including man-machine intelligence policing and preventive policing are roundly required. The more NPF decays in its operational methods the more emerging modern security threats and other unsafe conditions such as cyber crimes including cyber and chemical terrorism.

“By appointing AIG Suleiman Abba of typewriter era of policing as Nigeria’s ICT era policing IGP to stay on for next five years (from 1st August 2014 to 22nd March 2019 when he will statutorily bow out of the NPF), the NPF will be more than fifty years behind today’s insecurity challenges. This is more so when the NPF is the most populated security force in Nigeria with roughly 400,000 officers and constitutionally placed in charge of internal security. The mournful look on the faces of most police officers in the 6,651 operational establishments of the Force is clear evidence.

“Gross Lopsidedness in the Latest DIG Promotion & NPF Management Team: From authoritative information available to us this morning out of six new AIGs said to have been promoted to DIGs to form members of the new NPF Management Team, no senior police officer from Southeast, Southwest and Northeast is included. Their names are AIG Dan’azumi Jos Doma with service number AP21795 (Niger State, North-central), AIG Mamman Ibrahim Tsafe with service number AP24211 (Zamfara State, Northwest), AIG Saliu Argungu Hashimu with service number AP24214 (Kebbi State, Northwest), AIG Solomon E. Arase with service number AP16474 (Edo State, South-south), AIG Christopher Terhem Dega with service number AP16471 (Benue State, North-central) and AIG Ballah Magaji Nasarawa with service number AP24213 (Kebbi State, Northwest). AIG Doma retires in 2019 (01/01/2019), AIG Tsafe 19/02/2017, AIG Argungu Hashimu 10/7/2017, AIG Arase 21/6/2016, AIG Dega 11/3/2015 and AIG Nasarawa 31/12/2019.

“Out of the six new DIGs, three are from Northwest, two from North-central, one from South-south and zero from Southeast, Southwest and Northeast zones. The three just retired DIGs from the three zones under reference are DIG Emmanuel Kachi Udeoji, Abia State, Southeast (retired 1st August 2014 with statutory retirement date of 09/09/2014), DIG Johnson Jonathan, Taraba State, Northeast (retired on 03/7/2014) and DIG Abdulrahaman Akano, Osun State, Southwest (retired on 22/6/2014).

“Finally, President Goodluck Jonathan remains one of the presidents in modern times that have unhindered access to best form of citizen advice through ICT resource, but owing to presidential cluelessness, such golden opportunities usually slip off his hands. It is on record that Mr. President does not have dedicated phone numbers or emails or social media accounts handled by himself as public office holder or elected president. He also, does not respond to citizens’ letters or enquiries or reply them, thereby making himself a ‘cocooned president’. These may most likely earn him ‘the worst president of Nigeria in recent times’.”

•Photo shows IGP Suleiman Abba.

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