Barely three weeks before the expiration of his tenure, President Muhammadu Buhari has announced the appointment of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Garba Baba Umar, as his Senior Security Adviser on International Police Cooperation and Counter-terrorism (INTERPOL), in the Office of the Minister of Police Affairs.
The appointment was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
Shehu explained that Umar’s appointment would ensure Nigeria keeps its place as an Executive Member of INTERPOL, which is currently held by Umar.
Though Umar is billed to retire soon, his office as an Executive Member of the INTERPOL subsists till November 2024, according to the statement and his appointment takes effect from May 16.
It reads: “To enable Nigeria keep the important position and make way for him to complete his nationally beneficial tenure as an Executive Member of the INTERPOL, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed retiring AIG, Garba Baba Umar, as a Senior Security Adviser on INTERPOL in the office of the Minister of Police Affairs.
“In approving his appointment, President Buhari took note of a precedent in which a former Executive Member, AIG Kamal Subair (rtd) was retained in service by the Federal Government after retirement in 2018. President Buhari also noted that during his tenure as a member of the Executive Committee, AIG Umar assisted Nigeria in many ways, with the hope that in the remaining one year, he will do more in securing equipment for crimes, border management and counter-terrorism for the country, and help to get more Nigerians into important positions in the INTERPOL.
“AIG Umar’s tenure at the INTERPOL ends in November 2024, and his new appointment as Senior Security Adviser takes effect from May 16, 2023.
