Good Thing about Alkali Baba’s Choice as IGP – CP Balogun

Matilda Omonaiye/

A retired Commissioner of Police, Mr Olayinka Balogun, has described the choice of DIG Alkali Baba Usman as the acting Inspector General of Police as the best transition in the Force in a long while.

Balogun told NewsMakersNG: “Alkali is a natural pick. He was the most senior DIG. No need to promote him over anybody. No grudging of any kind. He was naturally qualified.

“The first of its kind in many years. His ascendancy will not create undue premature mass retirement for any group of officers now or later, except those who will retire naturally on an age or length of service basis. So Alkali is coming in peace. May his tenure bring peace and a crime-free atmosphere to Nigeria.”

Alkali who clocked 58 years on March 1, 2021, hails from Geidam, Yobe State. In 1980, he received a Teacher’s Grade II Certificate from Teachers College, Potiskum, in Yobe. He studied political science at Bayero University Kano, graduating in 1985, before proceeding to the University of Maiduguri where he received a Master’s in Public Administration in 1997.

He was a member of course 22/2014 2014 at National Defence College.

Alkali enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on March 15, 1988, and later became an Assistant Superintendent of Police, and then Commissioner of Police on January 27, 2013.

In 2014, he was posted to Delta State as the Commissioner of Police. He served as DIG Force CID, Force Secretary at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. He had also served in FCT as the Deputy Commissioner, Investigation and at the Staff College as a directing staff.

He was in Kaduna as the Deputy Commissioner, Administration and Assistant Commissioner, CID. He served in Ilorin as an Area Commander. At Ebonyi State, he was the second-in-command.

He had served in Kaduna, Yola, Jos and Gombe State as divisional police officer, DPO.

Alkali was a former AIG at Zone 5, in charge of Edo State, Delta State and Bayelsa State. He is a fellow of the International War College and a member of the International Association of Police.

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