The IGP Mohammed Adamu I Know

By: Shina Philips

The appointment and recent confirmation of Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Adamu as Nigeria’s 20th Inspector General of Police by President Muhammadu Buhari has continued to elicit commendations from many Nigerians especially those who know the pedigree of Mr. Adamu as a quintessential and a thorough bred Police Officer.

Those who know what the new IGP will be bringing on board are equally delighted at the positive changes the Force will witness in the coming months and years.

These high expectations appear to be very well placed. Mr. Mohammed Adamu has distinguished himself at every post and command where he has served since 1986 when he was commissioned as Cadet ASP in the Police Force.

By the end of his tenure, Mr. Adamu would be one of the most educated Inspectors General of Police in Nigeria’s history.

In 1983, he graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with a B.Sc (Hons) degree in Geography. In 2010, he again obtained a Master’s degree in International Criminal Justice Systems from the University of Portsmouth, England and in 2018, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree in International Relations by Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu State.

Mr. Mohamed Adamu has served as the Divisional Crime Officer at the Mgbidi Police Station in Imo State; Officer-in-Charge, General Investigation, Nigeria Police Zone 6 Headquarters, Calabar and as a detective at the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos. In 2007, IGP Adamu was appointed the Director, Peacekeeping and Training, Force Headquarters, Abuja and later deployed as the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of Administration in Ekiti State Command.

In 2012, he was transferred to the Kaduna Police Command as Deputy Commissioner of Police and Head of the State Criminal Investigation Department.

He became the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Police Command in 2013 and was promoted Assistant Inspector General pf Police in 2015 and placed in charge of Zone 5 Police Headquarters, Benin-City.

Mr. Mohammed Adamu remains one of the best trained Police Officers in global policing. He is the first ever African to be made a Director in the over 82 years history of INTERPOL.

Between 1997 and 2002, he was seconded by the Nigeria Police to the INTERPOL General Secretariat, Lyon, France as a ‘Specialized Officer’ on Economic and Financial Crimes in the Economic and Financial Crimes Sub-Directorate.

He held this position until he was made Assistant Director in-charge of the African Sub-Directorate at the INTERPOL General Secretariat.

In 2005, he was promoted Director, National Central Bureau and 1-24/7 Global Communication System and Development within the hierarchy of the INTERPOL Secretariat, Lyon, France.

In 2010 at its General Assembly Session in Singapore, IGP Adamu was elected Executive Member of INTERPOL; in 2012, he was elected the INTERPOL’s Vice President responsible for Africa at INTERPOL’s meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Shina Philips is an International Assessor on Security to Security Watch Africa and a regular face on the weekly Security Programme on Africa Independent Television (AIT).

He is also the MD/CEO of Matchmakers Consult International, organizers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards and Africa LAMPS Awards.

As an International Assessor, he has had more than a brief interaction with the IGP who he has known for many years. In this interview with our staff, he speaks on the IGP.

My Honest Assessment of the IGP

‘First I must join many well-meaning Nigerians to commend President Muhammadu Buhari the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for appointing Mr. Mohammed Adamu to lead the Nigeria Police Force.

I say this with all sense of humility and respect that Mr. Adamu is one of the best trained, most exposed and most professional Police Officers on the African continent.

His educational qualifications and experience on the job eminently qualifies him for the Police top job.’

‘His training in International Criminal Justice Systems and other in-house Police trainings have placed him in good stead to stir the ship of the Police aright.

He has served in Operations, Investigations and administration at the highest level of the Police Force; he has served in the southern and northern parts of the country and has spent quality time abroad working with the INTERPOL.

He is very well respected in the international Police circle. He is very well experienced in global policing. His experience and contacts will help Nigeria regain her respect and place in the comity of nations. ‘

What Are Your Expectations?

‘We must realize that policing a country like Nigeria is never an easy job. Only a Police IGP with the right of exposure, expertise and discipline and an eagled-eye focus can successfully lead the Force. The challenges are enormous and it is a task that one man alone cannot achieve.

Having said that, I will also say the Mohammed Adamu I know is brave, intelligent, thorough and professional; he has the capacity to lead the gallant men and women of the Police Force. He is a passionate and focused leader.

My expectations of him as the IGP are ambitious. I expect the Police Force under him to be absolutely focused on crime prevention.

He did this when he was Commissioner of Police in Enugu when he encouraged the use of sports especially football to engage the attention of youths and stir them away from criminal activities.

‘We will see a Police Force which will approach crime fighting methodically and professionally.

We already see what is happening in Zamfara and other areas ravaged by bandits. Rather than draft men and officers to fight blindly, the IGP elected to hit the root causes of the problem.

First, there was a ban on mining activities in those region because gold mining provides funds which attracts genuine businesses and criminals who crave for funds to oil their criminal activities.

Let me call Nigerians’ attention to the achievements the Police have recorded through ‘Operation Puff Adder.

Over 27 victims rescued from kidnappers’ den, over 220 suspects rounded up and a large cache pf arms recovered from them.

Some sanity is finally returning to the Abuja-Kaduna road notorious for robberies and kidnapping. In fact, one rocket launcher was recovered from the criminals.

These are the kinds of achievements the Police will record under Mr. Adamu…and Nigerians will be better for it’

‘We will also see a Police Force that will be very disciplined and focused on her traditional responsibility of fighting crime and protecting society. He is a silent achiever.

You will experience a Police Force working stealthily but efficiently and effectively to achieve set goals.

We will see a Police leadership without unnecessary controversies and negative media exposures.’

‘IGP Mohammed Adamu will bridge the gap between the Police and the public. We will find police officers and men interact professionally with the public and treat them with tact and respect. Mr. Adamu will work assiduously to smoke out criminals and hunt them down.’

‘Through his exposure, I am sure the IGP will work to reform the Force and make her meet international and global police standard.

His exposure will help him lead the Nigeria Police along international best practices which is something the public have always desired from the Force’.

END