It is no longer news that many security experts, retired police officers and stakeholders have repeatedly argued that vast experiences of retired Inspectors-General of Police in Nigeria should be tapped, especially in the face of insecurity enveloping different parts of Nigeria.
However, many IGPs are simply pushed into the trash cans of history, gathering mould in their different homes.
Securitynewsalert.com takes a peek into the lives of five top IGPs, looking at their achievements, drama surrounding their administrations and lives now in retirement.
While many are chilling in their states, others are planning to jump into politics. In Nigeria, politics is the sector to generates more money without people raising questioning eyebrows.
IGP Usman Alkali Baba: 2021-2023
Education and Career: Baba was born in 1963 and the 21st IGP. He was appointed by the President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari. He replaced Mohammed Adamu. He retired in June 2023 and handed over the baton to the current Kayode Egbetokun.
Baba is from Yobe State and studied Political Science at Bayero University Kano, graduating in 1985.
He got his master’s in Public Administration in 1997 from the University of Maiduguri.
He is a member of course 22/2014 2014 at the National Defence College. He enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on 15 March 1988.
Baba was recognised as the Best Commissioner of Police in Crime Fighting for his motivational leadership and effective anti-crime strategies.
Before his appointment as IGP, he was a Deputy Inspector-General Of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters.
In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Notable Events While In Service
Whilst he was the IGP, Baba was described by some people as the most ethnic biased IGP in Nigeria.
It was alleged that Baba commissioned over 180 projects as the IGP, and all the projects were in the north.
It was also said that in the posting of senior police officers, he tilted towards northern extraction and surrounded himself with northern police officers.
During his administration, Baba was accused of scheming to extend his tenure as IGP, which was against the law.
A Federal High Court in Akwa, Anambra State, declared Baba’s extended stay in office as Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police illegal.
The Nigeria Police Force would later claim that the judgment ordering the removal of Baba from office over retirement age is false.
It was also said that a total of 198 projects were completed nationwide, including the construction of new structures and the renovation of existing ones like barracks and training schools.
There were increases in salaries and allowances, stoppage of tax deductions for the rank and file, issuance of uniforms and equipment, review of the housing policy, and provision of body armour in operational areas.
Baba, during his tenure, like the folkloric agama lizard, decided to praise himself since nobody appeared ready to do so.
So, he rolled his achievements recorded under his administration as the 21st IGP.
Baba said that between January and November 2022, 865 victims of kidnapping were rescued unhurt, while 383 kidnapping suspects were arrested.
Similarly, a total of 923 armed robbery suspects, 335 murder suspects, and 473 suspected cultists were also apprehended during internal security operations.
He also stated that a total of 1,125 assorted firearms and 10,653 assorted calibres of ammunition were recovered, while under his watch, 696 terror elements, bandits and secessionists were arrested and 284 pipeline vandals across the country.
He also said that under his watch a total of 34, 595 officers across all ranks have been promoted while ultra-modern, and fully furnished Police Stations and Barracks accommodations have been commissioned in 13 States including the FCT, 5 state-of-the-art Police Combat Gunboats, 221 patrol vehicles, 55 lorries, 10 Tata Troop Carriers, 15 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 200 operational vehicles 5,160 Civil Disorder Control Equipment 6,723 Bullet Proof Vests 5,212 Ballistic Helmets, 2,110 Anti-Riot Helmets, five Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and three Combat Drones have been procured, commissioned and distributed to deal with complex special police operations across the country.
The Inspector-General of Police has assured of all-inclusive approaches to election security management during the 2023 General Elections which is evident in the various strategic meetings with the heads of political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Security Adviser, the military, the Intelligence Community, and all other sister security agencies that are relevant for election security management.
He reassured all Nigerians and the global community of his administration’s determination to guarantee credible elections in 2023 and solicited the cooperation of all citizens and strategic stakeholders, particularly members of the fourth estate of the realm.
Life In Retirement
A police source said: “Baba fought for police to get more operational budget and vehicles. During his administration, he was able to balance the ethnic squabbling in the Nigerian Police. For instance, if a CP in a certain state is a Yoruba, his deputy would be Igbo, Hausa or another group.
“Under him, the issue of buying rank never surfaced. Arase did it a little under what he called special promotions. But the worst IGP is Idris! It was under him that we witnessed ‘Cash and Carry Rank.’ He didn’t think things through before taking action”
According to close friends, Baba is currently eyeing a Senatorial position in one of the three senatorial seats in his state.
However, a source close to the immediate past IGP claimed that the man is also into part-time farming.
IGP Mohammed Adamu: 2019-2021
Education And Career: Mohammed Adamu is the 20th IGP. He was born in 1961 and took over the mantle of leadership from Ibrahim Kpotun Idris. He is from Nasarawa State.
He was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on 15th of January 2019. He was replaced on 6th of April 2021, with Usman Alkali Baba.
Before he was appointed by former President Buhari, he was an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in Benin City, Edo State.
He joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1986, after graduating from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Geography.
He holds a master’s degree in International Criminal Justice System from the University of Portsmouth, England.
Adamu also has extensive international experience. He was the first Nigerian to be seconded to the Interpol General Secretariat, Lyon in 1997, where he served as a specialised officer in Economic and Financial Crime, Sub-directorate from 1997- 2002.
The first African in the history of INTERPOL to serve as Director when he was appointed Director of NCB Services and I-24/7 Development from 2005-2007.
He was also the Director in charge of Peacekeeping and Training at the Nigeria Police Headquarters, Abuja.
In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Notable Events While In Service
In October 2020, the former IGP faced arguably the toughest job of his life when Nigerian youths staged one of the most prolonged protests against what they described as police brutality, which was popularly tagged #EndSARS.
It is unclear how many civilians and police officers died across the country as Nigeria witnessed jailbreaks, arson, looting and violent attacks against civilians and security officials. To date, there is no authoritative data on the fatalities recorded. The former IGP held all the aces at the time.
Also, another issue that could be linked to the tenure of the former IGP is the 2019 Auditor General’s report on missing firearms, which claims that “at least 3,907 assorted rifles and pistols remained missing as of January 2020”.
Another issue that may have dented Mr Adamu’s tenure as IGP was the report of an alleged sex scandal reportedly involving the daughter of a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Ahmed Sani Daura. It is unclear how the matter which went viral at the time was settled. Securityalertnews.com understands that the matter caught the attention of former President Muhammadu Buhari at the time, even as highly placed sources in the administration claimed the President almost fired the former IGP at the time.
Life in Retirement
Since the former IGP retired after about two years and three months in office, he seems to have opted for a calm but enjoyable lifestyle.
One of his close buddies confirmed to securitynewsalert.com that he is now into big-time farming, shuttling between his home state of Nasarawa and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
“He is also warming up for his governorship ambition in 2027. He recently made his intention known during a meeting with the members of the state working committee of APC in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital,” a police source who is familiar with the development said.
But various sources in Nasarawa, who do not want to be quoted on the matter, doubted the IGP’s chances of clinching the political party’s ticket.
Apart from his roles during the nationwide #EndSARS protest and the unresolved probe into missing firearms, some of the other issues the sources believed could impede his chance include the moral crisis in his matrimony.
The former IGP, who was married to four wives, including a Ghanaian and a Togolese, is rumoured to have divorced the four wives, including the President of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), Hajia Fatima Adamu, during his tenure as IGP.
Today, the former IGP is in a relationship with a socialite, Taiwo Kanley, who is popularly known as Lady Gucci.
Ms Kanley reportedly came into the IGP’s life dramatically in 2019 when he was appointed an IGP and reportedly got married around 2021, leading to his separation from his other wives.
“But you know that our people don’t tolerate such a lifestyle by the leaders. You may be reckless with women secretly, but as soon as you bring that to the public, then you would not be trusted with positions of authority,” one of the sources within the APC in Nasarawa State said.
However, it is too early in the race to the Nasarawa government house to say much. The political watching game will soon begin.
IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris: 2016-2019
Education and Career: Ibrahim Kpotun Idris is the 19th Inspector General of Police and took over the position of the number one policeman in Nigeria from Dr Solomon Arase. He was born in 1959 and is from Niger State.
He was appointed as IGP by President Muhammadu Buhari on 21 March 2016. He retired in January 2019.
Before his appointment, he was an Assistant Inspector General of Police (Operations), FHQ Abuja.
He also led the Police Mobile Force as well as the Kano State and Nasarawa State police commands in Nigeria while serving in the rank of Commissioner of Police.
He enlisted in the Nigerian Police Force in 1984, after graduating from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture. He also holds a degree in Law from the University of Maiduguri.
Notable Events While In Service
Idris is the first and only IGP in the history of Nigeria to declare his assets publicly and received commendation from the Code of Conduct Bureau for complying with the declaration of assets regulations.
He is also the only IGP to have deployed female officers in commanding units at the state level.
He is probably mostly remembered for his attack on his predecessor, Solomon Arase, whom he accused of making away with several cars.
The allegation travelled like wildfire, appearing in many national dailies, forcing Arase to also respond through the media.
During Idris’s administration, allegations of junior and senior officers paying money for promotion were rife.
Again, he made headlines after a viral video surfaced on social media, showing him stuttering as he battled to read a written speech, and kept repeating the word “transmission.”
He was also accused of repeatedly obeying orders from the presidency, refusing to go to Benue State during an escalating insecurity in that state.
It will also be recalled that Senator Isah Misau, representing Bauchi Central, accused the IGP of having an affair with two policewomen whom he reportedly gave special promotion.
The Cable Nigeria Reported: “The senator said Idris married one Asta, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), an act which he says contravenes the Police Act.
Misau alleged that the police chief had a secret wedding with Asta because she was “four months pregnant” for him. But the IGP said no law prevents him from marrying a serving policewoman, and that he is also religiously allowed to marry up to four wives. The family of the wife also said that the wedding was done publicly and a marriage certificate was issued.”
Life In Retirement
Idris is currently said to be into big-time mechanised farming and is also one of the special advisers to his town’s Traditional Ruler, Dr Yahaya Abubakar.
It was also heard that local politicians and youths of Bida have reportedly found Idris’s Abuja and Bida residences as havens for consultations.
Idris is said to be a core grassroots man who command the respect of both the young and the old in Bida emirate, Niger state.
A police officer, who was in Kano State and witnessed the “transmission! Transmission!” comedy drama enacted by IGP Idris, said it was one of the most embarrassing times for the Nigeria Police Force.
He narrated: “He came to commission a building built by the governor. He and his team came a day before the event, and our CP went to receive him. IGP Idris’s speech was written for him, and after that ‘transmission tragedy,’ some of us were fortunate to look at the speech, and there was no transmission written anywhere in the speech!
“He was just not organised.. However, he uses glasses, but on that day, he did not wear his glasses. The officer who wrote the speech repeatedly came to look at the speech and whisper into Idris’s ear. It was embarrassing.
“The CP gave journalists who were there N500,000 to ensure that the aspect of Idris’s repeating Transmission, Transmission, was expunged, but three days later, the video was everywhere!
“Another thing I can tell you for free is that Idris is not that corrupt. But people around him are corrupt, and they keep giving him a bad name.
“After retirement, there was not much money in his account. During his administration, there were several discussions about his womanising. I only know that he has a wife and a woman police officer who is a pilot. I don’t know of others.
“I think he married her after she passed out from the academy. One could also say Idris’s administration, in partnership with PSC under the chairmanship of retired IGP Mike Okiro, has several issues and petitions against it relating to Promotion for sale.
“Idris did not make money from the Promotion for sale; it was his men who made money from it. His men are actively involved in promotion for sale.
“I heard he is currently broke. He is currently in his village. After his retirement, just like many other IGPS, he wanted tenure extension, but could not attain it. However, he received several promises that it could be attained, which was also what gulped his money.”
IGP Dr. Solomon Ehigiator Arase: 2015-2016
Education and Career: Dr. Solomon Ehigiator Arase is the 18th Inspector General of Police, preceded by Suleiman Abba. He was appointed as the IGP by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and retired in 2016.
He was born on 21 June 1956 and is from Owan West Local Government, Edo State in Southern Nigeria. He is also a former Chairman of the Nigeria Police Service Commission (PSC).
He was appointed Chairman of the PSC in 2023 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Before he was appointed the IGP, Arase was head of the topmost intelligence gathering unit of the Nigerian police, the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau.
He attended Ahmadu Bello University for his undergraduate studies and graduated with a Political Science Degree in 1980.
He joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1981. He also obtained another bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Benin, as well as a Master’s from the University of Lagos.
He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy and has served in Namibia during the United Nations peacekeeping operation.
In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Notable Events While In Service
It was Arase who came up with special promotions for outstanding police officers, but some police personnel kicked against it.
Those who kicked against it opined that it created lopsided promotions, which saw junior officers assuming positions higher than their superiors.
Arase also, during his administration, banned roadblocks and caused 16 teams to move out across the length and breadth of Nigeria to ensure strict compliance.
He also banned the police from collecting phones from Nigerians to browse through as part of their roadside duty. He created the Highway Patrol to give the police a human face and create a relationship between Nigerians and the Police. However, it was bastardised as many police personnel used it as a conduit for extortion.
Arase pushed for CSO members to visit police formations’ detention facilities to check abuse of power and unlawful detention.
Life In Retirement
After retirement, Arase was appointed Chairman of a Task Force responsible for the implementation of a state Anti-Community Development Association Law in Edo State.
Arase is into legal practice, Security Consultancy with organisations such as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the European Centre for Electoral Support, the Human Rights Centre at the University of Oslo, Public Speaking, Research and other Academic engagements.
He also spends his time writing books. Earlier this year, 2025, Arase launched two books, ‘Readings On Election Security Management and Selected Readings In Internal Security Management.’
Arase, who is into charity work, promised to use the proceeds from the launch of the two books towards the sponsorship of indigent students.
He established, Mercy Igbe Arase Foundation to honour his late mom. This Foundation awards scholarships to indigent students in Edo State and children of deceased police personnel. He is also supporting local security forces in Edo State.
He is a member of the Committee on Prevention of Torture, Geneva, Switzerland, currently developing a universal protocol on Investigative Techniques.
Arase was still trying to get his bearings after retiring as the IGP, handing over to Idris, when he saw on different news platforms that his successor, Idris, accused him of leaving office with 24 cars.
Mr. Idris reportedly said: “When I took over, there was no vehicle, even the vehicle I would use. I discovered the last IG went away with 24 vehicles: the DIGS, some of them eight, some of them seven. The IG’s vehicles included two BMW 7 series, one armoured, and he left me with an old car.”
The allegation was an affront which Arase, who had always been particular about his reputation and image, could not allow to slide. He swiftly responded.
Premium Times Nigeria captured it thus: “Mr. Arase is in London for his son’s graduation, said in a statement that all the information needed by his successor (Idris) on vehicles bought by the police was in his handover notes. He said all vehicles bought by the police under him were distributed to the state commands and other appropriate units of the force. He also denied getting any letter from Idris since he has been in the UK.”
Arase further stated: “I suspect there must be a disconnect somewhere because all the information needed by my successor is provided in my handover notes.”
The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) in a story report, alleged Arase’s involvement in a shady land deal involving the sale of police residential quarters when he was the IGP.
Arase has since responded by going to court to seek redress against what he felt was a defamatory report.
Arase, on the 10th of June 2024, was unceremoniously removed as Chairman PSC by President Bola Tinubu, while he was in Ibadan, Oyo State, having a security conference with retired IGPS, security stakeholders and international bodies.
According to his friends, the removal caught him unaware, and many Nigerians were shocked as it was clear that Arase was beginning to Sanitise and rejuvenate the weakling PSC.
At least 29 Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria demanded transparency and clarity on the reasons behind Arase’s removal, describing it as a violation of the established legal procedure for removing a PSC chairman.
However, Securitynewsalert.com heard that Arase was removed to pave the way for the tenure extension of the current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, who is the 22nd IGP in Nigeria. According to some sources, Arase would not have agreed to the tenure extension.
It was further alleged that President Asiwaju Tinubu was not aware of this conspiracy and plot to remove Arase until it was too late.
The Nigeria Police Force, under the watch of IGP Egbetokun, justifying the removal of Arase as PSC’s chairman, claimed that the released list of successful candidates for the 2022/23 Police Constables recruitment under Arase’s watch was marred by irregularities and alleged corruption.
Many said that the claims of the Nigeria Police Force were an infantile pontification, recalling that the recruitment process under Arase was the most transparent, with the Nigeria Police Force and other bodies being involved for transparency and integrity purposes.
Many of Arase’s colleagues have described Arase as “Arase the intellect.”
A close friend said: “As soon as he left office as IGP in 2016, Arase, a brilliant personality, set up a Law firm in Abuja. Two years later, he commissioned the branch of the law firm in Benin City, the Edo state capital.
“After his sojourn as the Chairman of PSC, last year, he moved back to his Abuja Law Chamber, where he began his full-time legal practice. For Arase, it’s not just setting up a legal firm, but hard work, perseverance, commitment to the cause of justice and service delivery.”
A retired police officer who is also in law practice disclosed that a few retired police chiefs are doing exceedingly well in law practice after retirement.
He said Arase, Joel Azubuko Udah, Bala Hassan, Lawrence Alobi, Marvel Akpoyibo, Lawrence Elofuke and Taiwo Lakanu are some of the few retired top cops doing fantastically well in the legal profession.
This source further said that Arase and Akpoyibo, due to their immense performances in law practice, were recently inducted into the Nigerian Body of Benchers.
A police officer said of Arase: “Arase is currently into big-time consultancy. He was removed as the chairman of the PSC because he and Egbetokun are not cool. I heard that he was removed because of the tenure extension of Egbetokun.
“Arase is better as the chairman PSC than the current chairman there. The truth is that the powers that be wanted someone to align with their plans, someone who would do whatever they asked of him.
“Arase is very intelligent and initiated a lot of initiatives, imported several equipment that help in investigation. All the equipment that Police Officer Abba Kyari and his men were using for investigation, which catapulted Abba Kyari as a super cop, was imported by Arase.
“It was after importing the tracking equipment that Arase sent Abba Kyari out for training on how to use those equipment.
“The Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), which made Abba Kyari a global success story, was the brainchild of Arase. Arase wanted IRT and the equipment to check escalating cases of kidnapping in Nigeria. Under him, the Nigerian Police received several vehicles to support its work.
“Arase maintained a good relationship with other security agencies and ministries, which helped the Nigeria Police Force under his watch to receive donations of vehicles. When IGP Idris took over, he could not achieve the feats of Arase.
“IGP Idris claimed that Arase took cars, which was investigated and found to be a false allegation. Instead of fighting crimes, Idris was busy fighting Arase.
“During Arase’s administration, any Commissioner of Police who retires would go home with a car, but under Idris, all that stopped and till date has not been resuscitated.”
Securitynewsalert.com heard that the feud between Arase and Idris started after Arase issued Idris several queries for disobeying an order during his administration.
IGP Suleiman Abba: 2014-2015
Education and Career: Suleiman Abba is the 17th IGP and took over from Mohammed Dikko Abubakar. Abba He is from Gwaram, Jigawa State, Nigeria.
Abba was appointed as acting IGP on the 1st of August 2014 by President Goodluck Jonathan and later confirmed as substantive IGP on November 4 2014.
Before his appointment, Abba was AIG in Charge of Zone 7, Abuja. Abba was sacked on the 21st of April 2015 because of an alleged indiscipline in the Nigerian Police Force in the buildup to the 2015 general election.
He obtained a B. A degree in history from the University of Jos. He joined the NPF in 1984 and rose through the ranks to become AIG.
He also once served as Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to Maryam Abacha, spouse of Nigeria’s former military leader, Sani Abacha.
Notable Events While In Service
Abba was accused of abusing his powers as provided for in the 1999 Constitution.
Premium Times reported: “On October 30, 2014, Mr. Abba had ordered the withdrawal of police aides attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, a day after he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.”
It was under the watch of IGP Abba that lawmakers, without shame, jumped the fence of the National Assembly in the build-up to the election.
Police teams followed the instructions from Abba, invaded the National Assembly complex, tear-gassed and tried to prevent members of the House of Representatives, including the Speaker, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, from entering the complex.
Vanguard News Nigeria reported: “This forced some lawmakers to scale the fence to enter the chambers for their legislative duties.
“In an unprecedented action since the return to democratic rule, the police fired tear gas in the arcade of the complex after several legislators, who had escorted the speaker, successfully breached the Police barricade to smuggle him inside the main complex of the National Assembly.
“Tambuwal adjourns sitting, says House under siege. Several legislators who could not pass through the side gate where the speaker went through eventually scaled the fence to enter the complex.
“Senator Mark ordered the shutdown of the National Assembly complex. He also summoned the IGP, Suleiman Abba, to give explanations for the development. The Police cited receipt of intelligence information on the possible invasion of the National Assembly by hoodlums for their action.”
Abba would later maintain that he was sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan because he refused to rig the last Osun governorship election in favour of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The former Special Assistant on New Media to President Jonathan, Reno Omokri, called out Abba, insisting that the IGP was being economical with the truth.
Omokri said that Abba was sacked seven months after the said Osun governorship election for dereliction of duty and his inability to account for the mysterious death of the then Kano state Resident Electoral Commissioner and his family.
Life In Retirement
Abba left office as IGP in 2015. He has a Law firm in Abuja before he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as the Chairman of the Police Trust Fund in 2021.
He was also doing fine in private law practice before he was appointed. Abba is another brilliant man.
