Buhari Appoints Security Adviser On INTERPOL

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed retiring Assistant Inspector General of Police, Garba Baba Umar, as a Senior Security Adviser on International Police Cooperation and Counter-terrorism in the Office of the Minister of Police Affairs.

The appointment was to enable Nigeria keep its place as an Executive Member of INTERPOL, which is currently being held by Umar.

This appointment was announced in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

Though Umar is billed to retire from the Nigeria Police Force soon, his office as an Executive Member of the INTERPOL subsists till November 2024, according to the statement.

“To enable Nigeria to keep the important position and make way for him to complete his nationally beneficial tenure as an Executive Member of the International Police Organization, INTERPOL, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed the retiring Assistant Inspector General of Police, Garba Baba Umar as a Senior Security Adviser on International Police Cooperation and Counter-terrorism in the office of the Minister of Police Affairs.

“In approving his appointment, President Buhari took note of a precedent in which a former Executive Member, AIG Kamal Subair (Rtd) was retained in service by the Federal Government of Nigeria after retirement in 2018.

“President Buhari also took note of the fact that during his tenure as a member of the Executive Committee, AIG Umar assisted Nigeria in many ways, with the hope that in the remaining one year, he will even do more in securing equipment for crimes, border management and counter-terrorism for the country and in helping to get more Nigerians into important positions in the INTERPOL.

“AIG Umar’s tenure at the INTERPOL ends in November 2024, and his new appointment as Senior Security Adviser takes effect from 16th of May, 2023,” the statement read.