Alex Ejesieme
The recent #EndSARS protests in parts of the country have unearthed quite a lot of revelations on the management of public affairs in the land. Discerning Nigerians and observers alike have realised that the protests were not directed at “Police Brutality” alone, but also against impunity in governance and the public sector at large. Even as ‘hoodlums’ infiltrated the protests and wreaked extensive damage to lives, public and private property, some beacons of hope emerged from the whole saga. A clear case is the sterling example exhibited by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Adamu whose agency incidentally bore the bulk of the damage to lives, limbs and property.
As at last count, the Nigeria Police Force [NPF] had lost 22 officers, with several others seriously injured; while over 200 Police Stations/Formations were destroyed and hundreds of arms and ammunition looted. That should infuriate the Police Force into retaliatory actions, but thanks to their leadership, the nation was spared a decent into anarchy – yes, anarchy. Mohammed Abubakar Adamu’s credentials speak volumes and they would bear repetition anywhere in the world: Aside from professional training programmes within and outside the country, he holds a B.Sc. degree in Geography from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and a Master’s degree in International Criminal Justice System from University of Portsmouth, England. Prior to joining the NPF in 1986, he had been a teacher and Vice-Principal in a secondary school; educating, mentoring and managing young persons.
On the Force, IGP Adamu’s career progress has been an enriching experience in strategic elements of policing spanning various institutions. After a 10-year stint with the International Police [INTERPOL], Lagos-Nigeria Office, he was seconded to the organisation’s General Secretariat in Lyon-France – the first Nigerian to be so appointed. In the next eight years, he successively was a Specialised Officer in Economic & Financial Crimes; Assistant Director for the African Sub-Directorate; and Director of NCB Services and I-24/7 Development – again, the first African to be so appointed. Among others, his postings at INTERPOL took him as team leader of several criminal investigations to Europe, America and Asia. Aside from his INTERPOL service, Mohammed Adamu went through the mill of policing in his home country. He served as a Divisional Crime & Administrative Officer; Officer-in-Charge, General Investigation at Zone 6 Headquarters, Calabar; Director of Peace-Keeping & Training at Force Headquarters; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Commissioner of Police for Enugu State and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 5 [Benin], covering Bayelsa, Delta and Edo States. He made IGP early 2019.
With his local and international exposure, he has brought to bear on his role as IGP the virtues of patience, tolerance and an uncanny appreciation of human nature – in addition to his administrative and policing skills and competencies. Responsive to persistent public outcry against the unwholesome conducts of some SARS operatives, he promptly disbanded the outfit; and set the machinery in motion for both a replacement unit [Special Weapons & Tactics – SWAT] and the de-briefing, re-orientation and re-deployment of the erstwhile SARS officers found worthy of continued service on the Force. In his campaign against impunity, IGP Adamu has also given his full backing and co-operation to the varied panels on complaints against the defunct SARS, including appropriate sanctions against erring operatives.
IGP Adamu is a man of peace in word and deed. During the #EndSARS protests, he had sternly “warned Police Officers and their commanders against the use of force on peaceful protestors”. He also “reiterates that citizens have fundamental rights of freedoms of expression, assembly and movement and these must always be upheld and protected by the police”. Also alive to the techniques of crowd control, he advised and “appealed to protestors to continually conduct themselves peacefully and guide their ranks against infiltration by criminal elements”. It is revealing that in a rare show of leadership magnanimity in these parts, IGP Adamu acceded to the 5-Point demands of the #EndSARS protesters – an action even lowly Nigerian public officers would never contemplate. The Force Headquarters had declared: “The IGP stresses that the Force leadership has heard the voice of people clearly and is irrevocably committed to doing everything possible to address the observed ills, punish the offending officers and enthrone a people-friendly police force”. It is also instructive that when ‘hoodlums’ literally took over the protests, IGP Adamu rose to the occasion. He ordered “mobilization of all police operational assets and resources to bring an end to the wanton violence, killings, looting and destruction of public and private property, and reclaim the public space from criminal elements masquerading as protesters in some parts of the country”. Currently, he is on a triple-mission of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction. In view of the heavy losses and injuries of personnel as well as extensive damage to Police property, he has embarked on visitations to formations to boost the morale of the rank and file, which has plummeted in recent times. In the process, he is encouraging the hard-working, dedicated officers and men who have been sadly tainted by the bad eggs that seemed to have held sway all over the public and private sectors. He is also liaising with State Governments and other stakeholders on investing in the rehabilitation and rebuilding of damaged Police facilities.
A strong advocate of Policing with a Human Face & Integrity, IGP has given heavy impetus to the commencement of Community Policing across the country. The winner of the 2015 Best Commissioner of Police in Community Policing in Nigeria award has since initiated the formation of a Citizens’ and Strategic Stakeholders’ Forum interface regularly with Police leadership at all levels. As the international community expressed concerns over the destructive turn of the protests, Amnesty International tried to indict the Nigeria Police for ‘shooting innocent protesters’. Reflecting the diplomatic savvy and high intellect of IGP Mohammed Adamu, Force Headquarters had this passionate response to the global human rights watchdog: “Available reports show that 22 police personnel were extra-judicially killed by some rampaging protesters and scores injured during the protests … 205 stations and formations including other critical private and public infrastructure were also damaged by a section of the protesters. “Despite these unprovoked attacks, our police officers never resorted to the use of unlawful force or shooting at the protesters as alleged in the report. It is also beggars imagination that Amnesty International failed to mention or pay tribute to police officers who were gruesomely murdered during the protests while serving their fatherland.
“The Force decries the discriminatory tendencies exhibited by Amnesty International as seen in the report. One wonders if in the estimation of Amnesty International, police officers are not also human beings equally entitled to the protection of their fundamental rights to life and dignity of human person”.
Not one for frivolity, IGP Mohammed Adamu has alerted people of goodwill to the risks of having demoralised Police Officers. His caution was succinct and apt: “The unity of this country lies in the support that is given to police officers because if you are demoralised, the tendency is for criminals to take over the public space and the country is relying on us to make sure that the public space is not taken over by the criminals. So no amount of provocation, no amount of insult would make us shy away from our responsibilities … When we talk of human rights, the police are human; so, the rights of police officers would also be protected. So, we are sending the message that legally, we have the right to protect ourselves.”
In taking responsibility as a leader, IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu has proven to be among the Best of the Best of the Nigerian elite stratum. The Member of the National Institute for Policy & Strategic Studies [mni] has indeed given Nigerians and Friends of Nigeria a beacon that all hope is not lost in the conduct of public officers and management of public affairs for good governance, so help us God.
Chief Ejesieme (SAN), writes from Abuja