Adamu Mohammed, a former commissioner of police in Enugu state, has been appointed acting inspector-general of police (IGP).
A police source disclosed this, saying the appointment would be made public any moment from now.
The source said Mohammed, who hails from Nasarawa state, was “transferred out of relevance”.
He was said to have been appointed from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, near Jos.
Mohammed was a deputy commissioner of police in Ekiti state and had served at the Interpol. He rose to the rank of assistant inspector general of police (AIG).
His appointment lays to rest the controversy surrounding the tenure of Ibrahim Idris, outgoing IGP. There had been reports on the plots to extend Idris’ tenure but opposition parties kicked against it.
Idris was expected to have retired on January 3 after completing the mandatory 35 years in service.
A senior presidency official revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari had asked the attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, for a legal opinion on the possible extension of Idris’ tenure.
The source said Buhari is favourably disposed to extending Idris’ tenure “by two to three months” but would not want any legal issues around it.
“The president has asked Malami for a legal opinion on the tenure extension. He does not want to take any decision that will be upturned by the courts,” the official said.