The acting Inspector General of Police,Mr. Suleiman Abba was yesterday confirmed as substantive Inspector General of Police by President Goodluck Jonathan.
He was confirmed at a Police Council meeting held in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and thereafter admitted into the Council.
The President’s media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, said on his Twitter handle @abati1990 – “At Police Council meeting today, President Jonathan confirms Suleiman Abba as substantive Inspector General of Police.”
Abba was appointed the acting IGP on August 1 after the retirement of erstwhile police chief, Mohammed Abubakar. He is the country’s 17th indigenous police helmsman.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has inaugurated the first batch of Close Protection Unit for Judicial Officers and Judges, trained by operatives of the Royal Military Police of the British Army.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu yester in Abuja, said the IG in his address admonished the graduands to employ professionalism, discipline and courage in the discharge of their duties.
He stated that the unit was necessary to reassure Judges, especially the ones handling terrorism-related cases of adequate Police protection, to enable them discharge their duties without fear.
Abba thanked the British Government and sought greater collaboration in areas of capacity building and intelligence sharing.
The ceremony was attended by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Andrew Pocock, other senior staff of the British High Commission, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Ibrahim Auta and senior Police officers.
Meanwhile, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream, Dakuku Peterside  has described the decision  of the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba  to withdraw of security detail of the  Speaker of House of, Aminu Tambuwal as crass partisanship and subversion of Nigeria’s constitution.
Speaking on Monday on Africa Independent Television, AIT, Peterside described the police chief’s action as an act of impunity and an invitation to anarchy.
The House member who represents Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro federal Constituency in Rivers State called on every Nigerian to reflect deeply on this sad turn of events and to be dispassionate in apportioning blame.
According to him, “Impunity is fast becoming the nature of the PDP-led federal government. Withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security has no basis in law. It is crass abuse of office by the IGP. But we must not desecrate our high offices because of politics. It is Tambuwal today, how about tomorrow? Therefore we must all condemn this threat, not just to our democracy but also to our stability and survival as a nation. And it is tragic that the police are an accomplice”.
He warned that every Nigerian must be vigilant and cautious as election year approaches. “Nobody is more Nigerian. We are all equal stakeholders and we must ensure that our country survives these difficult times. That, for me should be the focus, not the cheap politics of withdrawing security detail from such an important office”, he said.
The law maker who is also worried about the dictatorial tendencies which is evident in political parties today, cautioned against the lure of absolute power because of its consequences.
He called on the parties to be fair to every aspirant, insisting that his party, the All Progressives Congress, guarantees a level playing ground for political office seekers.