Lawyers are divided over tenure extension of the Inspector- General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu on Thursday.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday extended Adamu’s tenure by three months.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, who made the announcement said the decision was to allow for proper selection of a successor.
But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun Adegboruwa, said the extension was “illegal and unconstitutional.”
He explained that Adamu cannot be asked to continue in office because he had completed his mandatory 35 years of service.
Part 5 (General Administration), No.8 of the Nigeria Police ACT 2020 states: every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the Police Force for the period of 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier.
However, Bar. Abdullahi Awwal Mohammed, said the extension of tenure of the IGP was in order “going by the presidential administration Nigeria is running.”
Mohammed, a former chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Gwagwalada branch, said it is unconstitutional for Adamu to have stayed on his own beyond a day after his tenure had expired, “but for the president to come to say that he has extended his tenure that is in order.”
In extending Adamu’s tenure, Buhari is keeping to his tradition of extending the tenures of security chiefs in his administration.
In the last five years alone, the president had extended the tenures of the recently sacked service chiefs, and other heads of paramilitary organisations.
