Finally, IG Withdraws Senior Police Officers from EFCC

Finally, IG Withdraws Senior Police Officers from EFCC

By Kingsley Nwezeh

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali, has ordered the withdrawal of senior police officers posted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in an apparent move to allow EFCC core staff to fully take over operations at the agency.

Baba, in a letter dated April 15, 2021, and addressed to EFCC Chairman, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, ordered the withdrawal of senior police officers from the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police and above from the anti-graft agency.

In the letter signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IG, Mr. Idowu Owohunwa, the senior officers were to be released from the EFCC and report to the Force Headquarters in Abuja by yesterday.

The decision was said to be informed by the current operational requirements of the police force.

The letter reads: “I write to extend the warmest regards of the Inspector-General of Police and to inform the chairman that the Inspector-General of Police has directed the withdrawal of all senior police officers from the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police and above attached to your agency.

“The decision is informed by the current operational requirements of the force. You are accordingly requested to kindly direct the immediate release of the concerned officers who are to collectively report to the undersigned on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at 10 am for further instructions.

“I am to also request that you avail this office the comprehensive nominal roll of all police personnel attached to the EFCC to include their date of transfer and designations in the agency for the purpose of updating our records.”

The redeployment of the police officers came two months after President Muhammadu Buhari broke the 18-year tradition of appointing a policeman as chairman of the EFCC with the appointment of Bawa.

The appointment was said to be part of the recommendation of Justice Ayo Salami’s panel, which investigated the former acting Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

With his appointment, Bawa became the first EFCC’s cadet to head the commission.

Since its inception in 2003, the EFCC has had five chairmen, all police officers, with only three of them confirmed by the Senate as substantive holders of the office.

The past chairman were: Mr. Nuhu Ribadu (2003-2007); Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde (Acting Chairman, 2008); Mrs. Farida Waziri (2008-2011); Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde (2011-2015); Mr. Ibrahim Magu (Acting Chairman, 2015- July 8, 2020); and Mr. Mohammed Abba (Acting Chairman July 8, 2020—February 16, 2021).

The Salami panel was said to have recommended that Buhari should appoint the next chairman from among the cadets of the anti-graft commission.

The appointment of Bawa had fuelled speculations that the then Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, would withdraw the policemen serving in the commission.

But the force spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, had told THISDAY that it was left for the new EFCC chairman to make such a decision.

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