Few days to leave office, Buhari makes appointment of security chief

With an exit date from office around the corner, President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday appointed retiring Assistant Inspector General of Police, Garba Baba Umar, as his Senior Security Adviser on International Police Cooperation and Counter-terrorism.

He is to function in the office of the Minister of Police Affairs.

The appointment is to enable Nigeria keep the important positions and also make way for the retiring AIG to complete his nationally beneficial tenure as an Executive Member of the International Police Organization (INTERPOL), a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, said.

“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 of Nigeria after retirement in 2018.

“President Buhari also took note of the fact 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 even do more in securing equipment for crimes, border management and counter-terrorism for the country and in helping 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 16th of May, 2023,” the statement, a copy of which was obtained by Persecondnews, said.