Why ex-EFCC chairman Lamorde wasn’t promoted DIG

Ibrahim Lamorde, a police commissioner and former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was dropped from consideration as a deputy inspector-general of police amidst concerns his elevation over four superiors could unleash internal bad blood, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on Monday that Mr Lamorde, currently the most-senior of the 95 police commissioners in Nigeria as of January 8, was amongst those pegged for elevation to DIGs where they would serve as members of the police management team.

But when the official list was released by the Police Service Commission on Tuesday, Mr Lamorde did not make it.

Multiple sources at the commission told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday afternoon that Mr Lamorde was dropped because there were four assistant inspectors-general from his North-East zone, even though he was highly recommended by Acting-Inspector-General Mohammed Adamu.

The PSC settled on Aminchi Samaila Baraya, from Taraba State, as the North-East slot on the management team. Other three AIGs from the North-East are: Usman Alkali Baba, Yobe State; Karma Hosea Hassan, Taraba State; and Tijani Baba, Yobe State.

“What was eventually decided was that Mr Lamorde had four AIGs ahead of him from the North-East, and it would be unfair with high risks of animosity if he is promoted ahead of them, especially since they have no pending disciplinary matters,” a commission source said. “Mr Lamorde was highly favoured, but it is better not to risk creating a bad atmosphere because of his promotion.”

“He would soon be promoted to AIG,” the source added.

A spokesperson for the commission did not return requests seeking comments about the botched promotion of Mr Lamorde, who was born in 1962.

About 16 new AIGs are expected to be announced this week, eight of whom would replace those promoted as DIG on Tuesday. This would take the number of AIGs to 28. There were 20 substantive AIGs before eight were promoted this week.

There are usually seven DIGs serving simultaneously under an inspector-general, and six of them are selected from each of the six geopolitical zones, while the IG chooses whomever he likes from any zone to be the seventh. There are also seven portfolios to be assigned to each of the DIGs, including finance and administration, criminal investigation and operations departments.

The remaining DIGs named yesterday are Usman Abubakar, North-west; Abdulmajid Ali, North-central, Frederick Lakanu, South-west; Godwin Nwobodo, South-east; Anthony Michael, South-south; and Yakubu Jibrin, North-central. The new DIGs were yet to be assigned a portfolio as of Wednesday afternoon, but this may be done any moment.

The PSC also promoted Usman Yakubu, the AIG Zone 10, Sokoto, as a DIG, but he would not be sitting on the management board because he would shortly proceed on terminal leave.

Mr Adamu has been preoccupied with constituting the crucial team since he was appointed on January 15. He met seven DIGs who worked with former IGP Ibrahim Idris on the police management board.

Since the police are the primary security agency in charge of elections, Mr Adamu has to structure to impose his own vision of effective policing before February 16.