How Looming  Mass Retirement In Police May Hinder Monitoring Of Elections

*IG, 16 AIGs, 300 others to retire within two months

The effective monitoring of the general election commencing on February 25, 2023, is being threatened by the imminent retirement of senior police officers including the IGP.

It is gathered that the Lawful retirement of about 350 police officers in February and in March 2023, may affect the effec­tive monitoring of the Presidential and governorship elections and other elections slated for February and March 11th 2023.

The president and national assembly elections are slated for February 25, while governorship and state assembly elections will hold on March 11, 2023.  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is doing everything possible to deliver free and fair elections.

However, provision of adequate security that will engender effective monitory of the polls is being threatened by manpower shortage that may hit the Police Force due to imminent mass retirement of officers including the Inspector General of Police (IG), Usman Alkali Baba.

It was gathered that apart from the IG whose statutorily retirement day is for March, 15, about 16 Assistant Inspectors-General (AIGs); 12 Commissioners of Police (CPs) and  Deputy Commissioners of Police  DCPs, and  30 Assistant Commissioners of Police  (ACPs) are slated for retirement between February 1 and March 31, 2023.

Also to retire within that period are more than 35 Chief Superintended of Police (CSPs);  47 Superintended of Police (SPs), 55 Deputy Superintended of  Police (DSPs)  and over  70 Assistant Superintended of Police  (ASPs).

Already, two DIGs are expected to statutory retire at the end of January, 2023. Their letters of retirement were said to have been forwarded to Police Service Commission (PSC) for processing.

Sources hinted that about 15 of the ACPs are Mobile Squadron Commanders and Area Commanders, while most of the CSPs and SPs are Divisional Police Officers (DPOs).  It was gathered that ironically, the names of some of the officers had been submitted to the Force Headquarters Abuja for strategic postings for the elections. Some top retired security personnel, who spoke to THISDAY, said the imminent retirement of the officers could have a negative impact of elections and therefore advised President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the retirement of these officers till after the elections.

However, a source at the Police Service Commission (PSC) assured Nigerians that the police have enough manpower to perform their statutory role during and after the elections.

“We just injected 10,000 recruits into the force, who will participate in the election. Another 10,000 are expected in the next batch of recruitment. We have received applications. So for now we have enough manpower for the election,” the source said.

Speaking on the extension of tenure for the personnel, the source stated: “In the case of IG, only President Buhari has the power to extend the IG’s tenure. His tenure ends March 1 and at that point, only the presidential election would have been conducted but if he is to go, there other capable successors.”

Also, the Police Force spokesman, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said there was no cause for alarm.

“We always have manpower. Police is not the only security agency involved in this election. There are other security agencies and we are working in synergy. Every volatile area will be liberated before the election.

“People are creating fears to heat up the polity and we need to be wary of fake news peddlers,” he told THISDAY yesterday.

“Those who are to go will go. Once it is time for you to go, the rule is that you must go. For instance a DIG is going today (yesterday),” he Adejobi added.

Source: Thisday