The Police Service Commission (PSC) has declined the promotion of Mr Ibrahim Magu, a commissioner of police and former Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Commission also confirmed the appointments of three Deputy inspectors-general of police (DIGs) who were in acting capacity.

The Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, announced this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Ani said Magu’s promotion would be considered pending clearance from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Office of the Inspector-General of Police.

Magu exit from being acting chairman of the EFCC began after he was arrested on July 7, 2020 and subsequently suspended and detained. A panel headed by Justice Ayo Salami panel had, in August 2020, recommended Magu's removal from office and also asked that he be prosecuted over allegations of abuse of office.

The panel had specifically recommended that Magu should be removed “for failing to properly account for N431,000,000.00 security votes/information fund released to the office of the Executive Chairman of EFCC between November 2015 and May 2020”.

He was also accused of causing “disappearance of evidence, stoppage and suppression of cases under investigation and prosecution, and omitting to arrest suspects” in cases involving a former deputy senate president and a former MD of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC).

Magu was further accused of suppressing high profile cases involving four former governors, one of whom is currently a senator. The panel recommended that Magu should be referred to the inspector-general of police for “necessary disciplinary action”.

However, since the panel submitted the report in November 2020, only a few of the recommendations have been implemented. A new chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, was appointed in February 2021 while several police officers were recalled to the headquarters.

The promotions

Ani said the DIGs whose appointments were confirmed are Tijanni Baba and Zanna Ibrahim, North-East and  Moses Jitoboh, South-South.

The PSC spokesman said the commission had approved the promotion of 24 commissioners of police (CPs) to Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs).

Ani said the decisions were the highpoints of the commission’s 12th Plenary Meeting presided over by the Chairman, Mr  Musiliu Smith held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

He said the commission had also approved the promotion of 35 deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) to  CPs and 52 assistant commissioners of police (ACPs) to DCPs.

Ani said 46 chief superintendents of police (CSPs) were promoted to ACPs.

According to him, the commission also considers and approves the promotion of 10 superintendents of police to CSPs, 17 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) to Superintendents,

He said 139 assistant superintendents of police (ASPs) whose names were skipped during the last promotion, to deputy superintendents and nine inspectors to assistant superintendents of police were also approved.

Ani said Smith had congratulated the beneficiaries and called for commitment to service within the laws of the land and the fear of God.

He pledged the commitment of the commission to continue to ensure that promotions in the police follow due process and timely.