Will IGP spend another day in office above retirement age?

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was expected to retire from the Nigeria Police Force yesterday (Monday), having clocked the mandatory retirement age of 60.

But there had been speculations that his tenure might be extended by the presidency, which seemed to think that his removal might affect the security preparations for the 2019 general elections.

It was reported that the IG had high chances of getting tenure extension like other Service Chiefs who had overstayed their tenure by over 12 months.

But various groups, including the Coalition of United Political Parties, had opposed the planned tenure elongation.

Idris, who was the 18th indigenous IG, was born on January 15,1959 and enlisted into the force in 1984.

He was appointed IG on March 21, 2016, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The President is expected to announce an acting IG pending confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council which is comprised of the President as the Chairman; state governors; the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and the IG.

Buhari left the nation guessing about his next move last week when he said he would make a decision on Idris’ tenure soon.

It was further gathered that Idris spent some part of Monday at the Presidential Villa, where he held a closed-door meeting with Buhari.

(Credit: Punch newspapers)