Abubakar ‘Fit and Proper’ to be IG, Says PSC

Written by This Day Friday, 27 January 2012

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has defended the choice of Alhaji Mohammed Dikko Abubakar as the Acting Inspector General of Police (IG) following the early retirement of Alhaji Hafiz Ringim.

The commission, which is responsible for discipline, promotions and retirements in the police, said “competence, integrity, professionalism and a command of respect among his colleagues” distinguished Abubakar.

The search, it said, spanned several months after Ringim started showing signs of laxity in the handling of many security issues under his leadership.

In a letter entitled: “Re-Appointment of Acting Inspector-General of Police/Justice Nikki Tobi Report of 2001 on Jos Crisis”, the chairman of the commission, Mr. Parry B.O. Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), said the Federal Government could not act on the recommendations of the Nikki Tobi Commission because it was a Judicial Commission set up by the Plateau State Government.

Tobi indicted Abubakar, who was commissioner of police (CP) in Plateau State during the 2001 Jos riots, for allegedly taking sides in the sectarian crises which claimed hundreds of lives.

Abubakar was branded a religious fanatic by the panel.

According to Osayande, there was no record indicating that the report was sent to the PSC either directly by the state government or the Office of the IG nor was any disciplinary action taken against him by the commission for any act of misconduct over the incident

Osayande observed that the report, which was 12 years old, has no constitutional effect in terms of its recommendations “and in any case it was only a recommendation”.

He further noted that Abubakar had gone further to hold other positions such as CP, Abia State Command (November, 2001), Kwara State Command (April 2002), Adamawa State Command (January 2003), Kano State Command (January 2007), AIG Zone 2, Lagos; Zone 5, Benin; Zone 6, Calabar; and Zone 12, Bauchi and “in all these assignments, he performed creditably well and demonstrated professional competence”.

More importantly, Osayande concluded, CPs deployed in Plateau State have always suffered accusations of complicity from either the Muslims or Christians, adding that the president may wish to be guided accordingly in the light of the above issues.

The full text reads: “I write with reference to the above subject matter and wish to state that findings reveal that the Nikki Tobi Commission was a Judicial Commission set up by Governor Joshua Dariye (then Plateau State Governor) to look into the 7th September, 2001 Jos Crisis. The Commission in its report recommended inter alia: ‘Religious fanatics should not be posted to head state police commands. The Commission recommends that for his ignoble role during the September 2001 crisis, which resulted in the loss of lives, the former Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, Alhaji M.D. Abubakar, be advised to retire from the Nigeria Police Force and in the event of his refusal to do so, he should be dismissed from the service’.

“It needs to be pointed out that this was a Judicial Commission constituted by the State Government and apparently the Federal Government did not act on the Commission’s recommendations. There is also no record that the report was sent to the Police Service Commission either directly by the State or the Office of the Inspector- General of Police for a follow up action. Neither was he queried by the Inspector General of Police, nor was any disciplinary action taken against him by the Police Service Commission for any act of misconduct over the incident. In any event, the report is now Twelve (12) Years old and whatever recommendation was made will now be of no effect constitutionally. This is aside the fact that it was only a recommendation.”

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Thursday expressed disappointment in the appointment of Abubakar.

CAN, in a statement in Kaduna, said Christians in Northern Nigeria would never feel safe with Abubakar at the helm of affairs in the police, alleging that he is a religious bigot who is not fit to be in such an important public office.

According to the statement signed by the publicity secretary of the body, Mr. Sunday Oibe, Abubakar ought not to have been in the Nigerian police, having been allegedly indicted and recommended for dismissal by the Justice Niki Tobi Commission of Inquiry into the killings in the Jos crises of 2001 during which he served as the CP in the state.

“The profile of Abubakar is not befitting of an acting Inspector General of Police. One begins to wonder why a man who was indicted for religious fanaticism by the Niki Tobi Commission which equally recommended him for retirement and outright dismissal could be allowed to remain in the police force.

“It appears that some unpatriotic characters, especially in the Nigerian police are being allowed to have their ways in this country.

“We say this because there is similarity between Zakari Biu, a commissioner of police who set free a suspected Boko Haram bomber and Abubakar who supervised the killings and wanton destruction of lives and property in the 2001 crisis in Jos.

“Zakari Biu who played ignoble roles including the abuse of human rights during the Abacha era was dismissed from the Nigerian Police, but from nowhere he found himself back into the police and even rose to the rank of a commissioner to facilitate the escape of a high profile suspect like Kabiru Sokoto who was believed to have a hand in the Madalla bombing on Christmas day, killing many people.

“Similarly, Abubakar may have been appointed to this position to execute the worst Boko Haram activities, especially against Christians,” the statement said.