The Police Service Commission (PSC) is the civilian oversight body of the police. It is responsible for the appointment, promotion, and discipline of all police officers except the Inspector General of Police.
The Police Service Commission was established by Act, 2001 (No. 1).
On the 14th of September 2022, Police Service Commission (PSC) Chairman, Retired Inspector General of Police, Musiliu Smith resigned from his appointment.
His resignation on the grounds of ill health has given space for a new chairman to be appointed.
Without playing to the gallery, it’s obvious that any former IGP has all it takes education, training, intelligence, and all necessary professionalism to Chair the Police Service Commission more than any profession for that matter.
Any former IGP that has all the qualifications needed for the position should be appointed. Going through the wonderful profile of retired IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, NPM, mni who stands unbeatable in the annals of Nigeria Police one cannot hesitate to nominate retired IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, NPM, mni as the best candidate for the Chairman of The Nigeria Police Service.
Who is Retired retired IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, NPM, mni?
Retired Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, NPM, mni was born in Bida, Niger State on 15th January 1959. He attended St. Paul Primary School Sokoto and Government Secondary School Farfaru Sokoto.
He bagged two University Degrees: a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, and an LLB (Honours) in Law from the University of Maiduguri.
He enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as ASP Cadet in 1984.
He served subsequently as:
Divisional Crime Officer and Traffic Officer in Gusau Division in the present Zamfara State from January 1986 to Marc, 1987,
Police Mobile Force in April 1987. He later served in the Police Mobile Force (PMF) for Seventeen years, from April 1987 to 31st January 2004.
Retired IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, NPM, mni led a contingent of Nigerian Police Officers to United Nations Mission in Liberia on 1st February 2004 and was later seconded by the Nigerian Government to the United Nations in March 2005, where he served as Mission Police Operation Coordinator from February 2004 to October 2008, and was later deployed from there as the Deputy Police Commissioner in-charge of Operations in United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor Leste (UNMIT), from October 2008 to March 2011.
He was the Director of, the International Peace Keeping Office at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters from 11th April 2011 to 6th July 2011, and served as Commissioner of Police Kano State Command from 7th July 2011 to 16th February 2013. After his course in NIPSS, retired IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, NPM, mni was posted to Nasarawa State as the Commissioner of Police from February 2014 to September 2014. From there he was posted to Nigeria Police Force Headquarters as the Commissioner of Police, Police Mobile Force in September 2014. The UN Secretary-General appointed retired IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, NPM, mni as a Police Commissioner at UNAMID, in Darfur. This is the 1st time a Nigerian Police officer is clinching a B2 position for any UN mission in the world. However, the offer was declined to enable him to contribute his quarter in ensuring peace and stability immediately during and after the 2015 general elections. He was later transferred to the Kano State command in 2015 where he conducted the National elections held in 2015. He was also the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, at FHQ, Abuja.
Retired IGP Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, NPM, mni attended many professional courses in Nigeria which included: the PMF Conversion course in 1987, PMF Operation Management Course, and PMF Armored Personnel Carrier Operation Course all in Gwoza, between 1987 and 1989. He also attended Advanced Detective Course in 1987, Police Intermediate Course in 1997, and the Senior Command course in 2003, all in Police Staff College Jos. He also attended Joint Police and Military courses, including Disaster Management Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji in 2003. In September 2012, he attended the Leadership and Strategic Studies Course at the Centre for Management Studies (CMD), Lagos, and the Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Jos in February 2013.
Under the United Nations, Ibrahim attended a seminar on the re-organization and reforms of Formed Police Units (FPU) under the United Nations, at the Centre for Excellence for Stability Police Forces (COESPU) in Vicenza, Italy in 2004. He also attended the UN Senior Leadership Induction Course and UN Leadership Course at the UN Headquarters in New York in February and September 2009 respectively. He further attended Civil-Military Coordination in Disaster Management Course organized by the United States Military Pacific Command and United Nations in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2010. He has severally served as visiting lecturer on “roles of Police on United Nations peace Keeping Operations” at Nigerian Defense College in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He was a Mentorato African Union/United Nations Senior Leadership Seminar in Douala, Cameroun 2010, and African Union/ECOWAS Senior Leadership Course held in Nigerian Defense College Abuja in 2012.
The Retired IGP has received many commendations and Awards in the course of his career, including the Nigerian Inspector General of Police Commendation Award for his performance as Commandant PMF Training College, Gwoza in 2004, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Commendation Award for planning the execution and coordination of security for the Liberian National Elections in 2005, and the Special Representative of the Secretary General’s Award for coordinating major operations in Timor Leste in 2011. He also bagged two Outstanding Leadership Awards for two United Nations Missions, namely United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor Leste (UNMIT).
He was the first Inspector General of Police in Nigeria’s history to publicly declare his assets. He received a commendation from the Code of Conduct Bureau for complying with the Asset Declaration Regulations.
HURIWA’s position that the Chairman of the PSC should not come from former IGPs is faulted on the ground that it doesn’t recognize merit and professionalism which is the most important reason for establishing the Commission in the first place.
HURIWA debating that the next Chairman should come from the South does not hold water as merit should not be sacrificed on the altar of tribalism or nepotism or other social-cultural affiliations.
