Abuja: Garba Umar, the retiring assistant inspector general of police, has been nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari to the position of senior security adviser on counterterrorism and international police cooperation in the ministry of police affairs.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, verified this in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the president, the selection was made to allow Nigeria to retain the crucial position while allowing Umar to finish his advantageously long term term as an Executive Member of the International Police Organization (INTERPOL).
Buhari approved his appointment after taking into account a previous instance in which a former Executive Member, retired AIG Kamal Subair, was kept in employment by the Federal Government of Nigeria after retiring in 2018.
The president also noted that Umar helped Nigeria in many ways while serving on the Executive Committee. He hoped that he would do even more in the remaining year to help the nation secure tools for crime, border control, and counterterrorism.
He claims that Umar will also aid in increasing the number of Nigerians holding influential positions within INTERPOL.
AIG Umar’s employment with INTERPOL expires in November 2024; he begins serving as Senior Security Adviser on May 16, 2023.