Full List of Inspector General of Police in Nigeria – Abbreviated as IGP, an Inspector General of Police is the head of the Nigeria Police Force and is superior to other officers in the said police force.
Currently, the Inspector General of Police position is occupied by IGP Usman Alkali Baba. While the pioneer IGP is IGP Louis Edet.
Nonetheless, having mentioned the name of the PIONEER and ACTIVE IGP in Nigeria, I would like to list out the names of all individuals that have assumed the office of an IGP before in Nigeria.
These names will be listed in accordance with the year they assumed office and when he/she retired.
Also see: List of Senate Presidents in Nigeria From 1960 Till Date and Their Political Party
List of Inspector General of Police from 1964 Till Date in Nigeria
- IGP Louis Edet (1964 – 1966)
- IGP Kam Salem (1966 – 1975)
- IGP Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu (1975 – 1979)
- IGP Adamu Suleiman (1979 – 1981)
- IGP Sunday Adewusi (1981 – 1983)
- IGP Etim Inyang (1985 – 1986)
- IGP Muhammadu Gambo-Jimeta (1986 – 1990)
- IGP Aliyu Atta (1990 – 1993)
- IGP Ibrahim Coomassie (1993 – 1999)
- IGP Musiliu Smith (1999 – 2002)
- IGP Mustafa Adebayo Balogun (2002 – 2005)
- IGP Sunday Ehindero (2005 – 2007)
- IGP Mike Mbama Okiro (2007 – 2009)
- IGP Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo (2009 – 2010)
- IGP Hafiz Ringim (2010 – 2012)
- IGP Mohammed Dikko Abubarkar (2012 – 2014)
- IGP Suleiman Abba (2014 – 2015)
- IGP Solomon E. Arase (2015 – 2016)
- IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris (2016 – 2019)
- IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu (2019 – 2021)
- IGP Usman Alkali Baba (2021 – Till Date)
Biography of IGP Usman Alkali Baba, Inspector General of Police in Nigeria
The current Inspector General of Police in Nigeria is Usman Alkali Baba. President Muhammadu Buhari chose him to succeed Mohammed Adamu, who left the Nigeria Police Force in February 2021. On Friday, June 4, 2021, the Police Council approved Usman Alkali Baba’s elevation to the Inspector General of Police.
IGP Usman hails from the Nigerian town of Geidam in the Yobe State. In 1980, he graduated from Teachers College, Potiskum, Yobe State, with a Teacher’s Grade II Certificate.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Bayero University Kano in 1985, then went on to the University of Maiduguri to acquire a master’s degree in public administration in 1997.
Usman joined the Nigerian Police Force on March 15, 1988, and rose through the ranks to become an assistant superintendent of police before being promoted to commissioner of police on January 27, 2013.
He was appointed commissioner of police in Delta State in 2014. He was the force secretary and DIG Force CID at the Nigerian police force’s headquarters in Abuja.
Usman Baba worked in the FCT as a deputy commissioner for investigations and as a coordinating staff member in the staff college. He has also worked in Kaduna as a deputy commissioner for administration and an assistant commissioner for the Criminal Investigation Department. He was an area commander in Ilorin.
Usman was the second-in-command at Ebonyi State. As a divisional police officer, DPO, he has worked in Kaduna, Yola, Jos, and Gombe States. He served as the assistant inspector-general of police for Zone 5, which included Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa states.
Also, he is a member of the International Association of Police and a member of the International War College.
What are the Duties of the IGP in Nigeria?
The Inspector General of Police is regarded as the most senior officer in the Nigeria police force. He is the most powerful official charged with the responsibility of commanding the Nigeria police force.
The chain of command and orders, directives and instructions carried out by the police are given by the Inspector General of Police to police officers. It is a serious sanctionable offense to refuse or disobey an order from the Inspector General of police.
The Inspector General of Police is usually appointed by the Nigerian president subject to the approval of the legislative house.
Related: Nigerian Police Salary
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