As the Presidency remains silent on the issue of extension of the tenure of the Inspector General of Police. IGP Ibrahim Idris, after the expiration of the cnstitutional 35 years in service on January 3, 2019, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, has introduced a new dimension to the development.
Interestingly, the IGP will also attain the mandatory retirement age of 60 years on January 15, 2019.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding the rumoured tenure extension, Ozekhome stated that once there was an efflluxion of time, Idris would have seized to be the Police Chief.
According to him, by the combined provisions of Sections 214 and 215 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the President would automatically assume the position of IGP.
“There cannot be any lacuna. Under Sections 214 and 215 of the 1999 Constitution,the president of Nigeria is the overall Head of the Nigeria Police Force.
“Where the IG’s tenure has expired by effluxion of time, he automatically ceases to be IG. You cannot wake up a dead horse. The President should immediately announce an IG. Otherwise, he becomes the IG by proxy,” He said.
There were media reports that President Buhari met behind closed-doors with Idris last Friday, shortly after Jumat Prayer, however, details of the meeting was yet to ne made public at the time of going to press.
