IGP, Ringim Booted out

·        Jonathan uses Ringim as scapegoat for Police inefficiency

     By Damilola Towobola

     Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim Ringim was last week resigned from office alongside seven other Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGs) who were retired from active service by President Goodluck Jonathan and subsequently replaced by AIG Mohammed Dikko Abubakar. Ringim was given 24 hours to re-arrest Kabiru Sokoto; nearly one week later, the high profile suspect is still at large.

Ringim

  Spaizmedia also learned that Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim has been ordered to go into mandatory retirement by the following a series of bomb attacks launched in various northern cities by members of the Islamist movement Boko Haram was due for retirement in March 2012.the president had during the summon of the IG asked the Police helmsman to resign.

   Under Ringim’s watch, Boko Haram has enjoyed an almost unchecked run in the country. Mr. Ringim’s incompetence was highlighted by the recent escape from police custody of Kabiru Sokoto, a suspect in the Christmas Day bombing of a Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State. The attack claimed scores of lives and caused many injuries.

   ‘Apo Six’ lawyer, Amobi Nzelu reacting to the escape of the Boko Haram suspected likened the case to that of the Apo Six killing in 2005 when a police officer was alleged to have killed six Igbo youths coming back from a party in Abuja and the police officer was allowed to escape from custody and a police constable who was crucial to the case was allegedly poisoned.  

M.D Abubakar

    He criticised the escape from custody of a Boko Haram suspect, Kabiru Sokoto, who allegedly masterminded the Christmas Day bombing at St Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State.

    President Goodluck Jonathan, as the Chief Security Officer of the nation, had issued presidential pronouncements on several occasions on the preparedness of government to deal with the menace of the insurgents.

   Last year, the sect claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Police Headquarters in Abuja and the United Nations Building in Abuja, killing no fewer than 20 persons and wounding scores of people who were in the building at the time of the incident.

Bui and Ringim

    There have been subsequent incidents of bombings in the northern part of the country specifically in Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Plateau, Kaduna and Niger.
On Friday, January 20, there were reported coordinated bomb explosions in different parts of Kano.The Police Headquarters in Kano was affected and the casualty figure was said to be high. Insecurity and terrorist attacks reached their worst levels in Nigeria under Mr. Ringim's watch.

    It was learned that Ringim made desperate efforts to save his job by lobbying influential emirs and leaders to intervene and prevail on the President to keep him despite the disgrace the Police under him has brought on Nigeria’s security profile locally and globally.

    A statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati stated that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the appointment of Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar as Acting Inspector General of Police as a first step towards the comprehensive reorganization and repositioning of the Nigeria Police Force to make it more effective and capable of meeting emerging internal security challenges. 

     Mr. Abubakar who is currently an Assistant Inspector General of Police replaces Mr. Hafiz Ringim who proceeds on terminal leave with effect from 25^th of January 2012 was born on May 5, 1958; Mr. Abubakar enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on July 30, 1979. He holds a Diploma in Public Admin/Criminal Justice and was the AIG in charge of Zone 12 Headquarters in Bauchi, before his new appointment.  

    President Jonathan has also approved the retirement of all Deputy Inspectors General of Police with immediate effect. These are: Mrs. Ivy Uche Okoronkwo, DIG POL 2i/c Force Headquarters, Abuja, Mr. Azubuko J. Udah, DIG Administration (“A” Dept), Mr. Sardauna Abubukar, DIG Training (“E” Dept.); Mr. Audu Abubakar, DIG Operations (“B” Dept); Mr. Saleh Abubakar, DIG Works (“C” Dept.) and Mr. Mohammed A. Yesufu, DIG Planning and Info-Tech (“F” Dept.).

    The President has also established a Special Committee to oversee the urgent reorganization of the Nigeria Police Force. The committee is to be chaired by the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Parry B.O Osayande, DIG (rtd) and Other Members of the Committee include; Mr. Casimir T. Akagbosu, AIG (rtd.), mni; Mr. Bashir A. Albasu, AIG (rtd.), fwc, Major Gen. S.N. Chikwe, rtd, Prof. S.D. Mukoro, Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, Aisha Larai Tukur, Solicitor General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary, SSO, Office of the SGF to serve as the Secretary to the Committee.

    The Committee’s Terms of Reference is to identify the challenges and factors militating against effective performance in the Nigeria Police Force and make recommendations for addressing the challenges; examine the scope and standard of training and other personnel development activities in the Police to determine their adequacy or otherwise; determine the general and specific causes of the collapse of public confidence in the police and recommend ways of restoring public trust in the institution; examine records of performance of Officers and Men of the Nigeria Police Force with a view to identifying those that can no longer fit into the system due to declining productivity,  age, indiscipline, corruption and/or disloyalty and make any other recommendations for the improvement of the Nigeria Police Force.

   The Committee’s recommendations shall be implemented along with those by previous committees set up by Government on the reform of the Nigeria Police Force. 

    Meanwhile, the trial of Police commissioner, Zakari Biu, and some of his subordinates over the recent escape of Kabiru Sokoto, a suspected leader of boko Haram, began last week in the scorpion mess of the WU Bassey Military Barracks in Asokoro Districts of the Federal Capital territory.