IGP Abubakar Adamu: Two years of a visionary cop redefining policing

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

When you think of a selfless police cop with a touch of finesse and pulchritude, you probably have the current IGP in mind. Alas! That is IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, the perfect gentleman of a police officer who hails from Lafia, in Nasarawa State.

Necessitating his appointment is the fact that Adamu Mohammed had risen through the ranks of international policing in Lyon, France, where he became the Vice President of the International Criminal Police (Interpol) – a position he assumed for years, with sterling performance.

The 59-year old Adamu resumed office on January 15, 2019, having been appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as a replacement for Ibrahim Kpotun Idris (rtd).

Born on September 17, 1961 and enlisted into the Nigerian Police Force in 1986, after graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with a Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) in Geography, he displayed more love for erudition and pedagogy when he went ahead to bag a Master’s Degree in International Criminal Justice System from the University of Portsmouth, England.

Perhaps it seems plausible to say that the effective management of the security resources of the country is another feather to the cap of the 59-year old officer who continues to do his best in the area of fighting banditry and kidnapping, thereby safeguarding our democracy. This act, to a large extent, pays a tribute to resilience and determination in public service.

Of all men there are, Adamu has redefined 21st century policing through institutionalising the ideals and tenets of democratic police networks. Such a fine character must be allowed to continue, even if it means to be begged to continue.

Under his watch, in a space of six months, the Nigerian Police Force, reportedly, recovered 1,181 firearms including Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and rocket launchers, from criminal elements across the country.

A total of 4,187 high profile suspects had been arrested, including 1,629 armed robbery suspects, 1,053 suspected kidnappers, 1,023 over cultism and 482 over murder cases within the period.

The gallant police officer had announced that 389 stolen vehicles were also recovered from criminal elements, with 506 kidnapped victims rescued in the period under review.

Under Adamu, special operations squads against crime, including Puff Adder, have been sufficiently mobilised, leading to the rounding up of high-profile criminals that were hitherto a harbinger.

In the area of technology deployment in crime fighting, staff welfare, surveillance, arms and ammunition, his achievements remain unparalleled —a feat he couldn’t have achieved except through hard work, resilience and diligence.

Standing tall on his scorecard is his disposition and eventual support for community policing. The Adamu-led NPF commenced the process of implementing the community policing agenda, engineered from the provisions of the Police Act, which involves the engagement of citizens in identifying and prioritising prevalent communal security threats. The programme seeks to enhance communal togetherness in security matters through developing and implementing solutions to the identified security threats.

The aftermath of the #EndSARS protest left a devastating blow on the Nigerian Police Force but in his wit and wisdom, Adamu courageously moved to reboost the morale of officers and men, while taking measures aimed at mending walls.

Borne out of courage, he had, in a press briefing, announced that a total of 22 policemen were killed; 71 warehouses and 243 private stores looted across the country.

Many a police boss elsewhere would have got pusillanimous, succumbing to the conflagration of war and ravages of the assailants who appeared as desperados against the policing network. Adamu’s leadership style is, however, a testament to the fact that “courage is grace under pressure”, quoting the exact words of Ernest Hemingway.

Adamu’s legacies will sure endure on the lanes of history, being a spectacle worthy of an applause. Truth is that IGP Adamu, in the last two years, has greatly excelled in policing affairs, in divers ways too numerous to reel out.

Without mincing words, he is a highly cerebral police cop, a perfect gentleman and a man of character, charisma and candour.

Since assuming office as the 20th indigenous Inspector-General of Police, his wealth of experience, nationally and internationally, has largely rubbed off on policing. Having toured the world in the quest to acquire adequate education on police administration, Adamu brought back the requisite know-how needed for modern day policing. By and large, this has positioned him as that erudite cop of uncommon distinction.

Perhaps one enviable trait about the man from Nasarawa is that, despite his gargantuan strides, he has remained humble and simple, almost to a fault.

In the pure words of Benjamin Franklin, “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”

Sighting it through the eyes of an eagle, it is pertinent to suggest that President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, should make no hesitation in instructing IGP Adamu to continue in office; after all, one good turn deserves another.

Suffice to say that Adamu is a round peg in a round hole. A man of such calibre, pedigree and resume should be allowed to continue his good works.

Michael Porter says, “Finally, strategy must have continuity. It can’t be constantly reinvented.”

Dr Ayo Ogunsan, who is the Chairman of Executive Group and Board Member, Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), wrote this piece from Lagos.