The new acting Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris has just about spent his first week in office and in a bid to settle things around him has kicked off a campaign to get 30 senior officers retired.
Thisday exclusively reports that Idris on Friday wrote a letter to the Presidency on the matter of the retirement of 30 senior officers.
The officers affected, are of the rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police, and have been said to have been penned down for immediate retirement.
The motive behind this surprising move has been speculated to be because they are senior role him in terms of promotion and he doesn’t want any interference in his decision making.
A source for Thisday said,
“There is serious tension at the Police Headquarters in Abuja. We have heard that the new acting IG wants to retire both his seniors and coursemates.
“On Friday, he wrote to the presidency, through the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and it was approved and forwarded to the desk of the President for final approval.
“According to what Idris wrote, his reason why he asked for their retirement is that he cannot work with them. He said he wants to in all sense of the world take charge of the police.
” He said since he has been given the responsibility to provide security, it was imperative that these AIGs be removed because they might be a clog in his wheel of progress.
“With this move, there is a tendency to make 14 Commissioners of Police AIGs since the available and compulsory vacancy for AIGs is 26.
“Already before now, 12 AIGs were promoted. From the 12, they will take seven of them to become Deputy Inspector General (DIGs) of Police and then they will be forced to go to the CP rank to fill up the AIG rank of 26.
” We wonder why they are removing experienced hands that would have helped him steer the police to greater heights.
“These officers that will be retired, are the last set of senior policemen that were trained abroad, or have gone for short courses.
“I don’t know why we are wasting manpower. By removing these old hands, we will have to expend huge amount of money to train the new crop of AIGs and CPs.”