Nigeria: Police chief on the way out?

Nigeria P&S sources have revealed that the present Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force (IGP) Hafiz Ringim may soon be removed from office.

The Federal Government has been under pressure to remove Ringim since Boko Haram's June bomb attack against the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, which highlighted not only the police's inability to quell the Boko Haram insurgency but also to secure its own premises.

Following the bombing of the police headquarters, it was widely reported that the IGP had earlier met the bomber in his residence and had unwittingly invited him to ride with the IGP's convoy. Although the claim was subsequently disputed by the IGP, it continues to tarnish his reputation.

Additionally, sources report allegations that Ringim cashed in during the April general elections. According to certain detractors, Ringim found the election period was so lucrative that he bought property in the UK, and is alleged to have acquired other assets from illicit dealings during the campaign.

During the elections, opposition parties in states like Bauchi and Kaduna accused security forces of being used as stooges of the ruling party to threaten and intimidate opposition party supporters.

Some observers now view Ringim as the most unpopular IGP ever; his case has not been helped by the deteriorating security situation across the country and the fact that he appears unable to deal with the security crisis in the country.

Ringim was appointed IGP in September 2010, following the retirement of his predecessor, Ogbonnaya Onovo. His appointment had been made in the face of some protest, notably over whether he was the natural successor to Onovo and specifically because he was only an AIG at the time, his elevation catapulting him above the heads of a number of his superiors.

Ringim is expected to be replaced with the present Deputy Inspector General of Operations, head of Department B of the Police Force's management team Audu Abubakar.

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© 2011 Menas Associates

Nigeria: Boko Haram Insurgency

Borno State, the base of the Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, is still firmly under siege following the arrival of the Joint Task Force (JTF) of military and several security agents into the embattled State.

Borno is experiencing a mass exodus as residents, especially of those who are ethnically non-Borno residents, flee in apparent fear for their lives.

The University of Maiduguri has also been closed because its administration has stated that it could no longer guarantee the safety of its students and staff.

Some Nigerian State governments have already begun the process of evacuating their citizens from Borno State.

This comes on the heels of the first battle between the JTF and the Boko Haram insurgents, where several suspected Boko Haram members were killed. Although the official figure of deaths is put at 17, witnesses have claimed that the number of those killed in the JTF raid is at least 30.

There were subsequent claims that innocent civilians were amongst those killed in the raid. Some have criticised the use of blunt military force in flushing out the Boko Haram insurgency.

Borno State elders, legislators, and the State's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have also strongly condemned the use of JTF and called on the Federal Government to immediately remove the force, because it is allegedly causing more harm than good, and are advocating dialogue instead.

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates