What You Need To Know About Usman Alkali, The New IGP

On Tuesday, 6 April, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of Usman Alkali Baba as the new Inspector-General of Police —on acting capacity pending approval by the National Assembly.

He takes over from Mohammed Adamu whose tenure ended in February but was extended by President Buhari on 4 February.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed the appointment of Alkali during a briefing with State House correspondents in Abuja, while nothing that the appointment is with immediate effect.

Baba was born on March 1, 1963 in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State.

He enlisted in the Nigeria Police on March 15, 1988.

He holds a Teachers’ Grade II Certificate from Teachers College, Potiskum.

Baba obtained a Bachelor of Arts (ED) degree in Political Science from the University of Maiduguri and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Bayero University, Kano.

Until his appointment as the acting IGP on Tuesday, Baba had held several positions in various commands of the force.

He served as Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Yola, Gombe, Kaduna and Jos.

He also served in Ilorin, Kwara State as Area Commander, second-in-command in Ebonyi State and Assistant Commissioner, CID, in Kaduna.

He also served in Kaduna as the deputy commissioner (administration) and in FCT as deputy commissioner of police (Investigation). He was also in the staff college as a directing staff.

He became a commissioner of police in January 2014 and AIG in July 2016.

He was commissioner of police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Delta State and subsequently served as the AIG in charge of Zone 5 Benin, Zone 4 Makurdi and Zone 7, Abuja.

He had also attended peace keeping operations outside the country.

He was promoted to the rank of DIG in November 2020 and was in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) until his appointment as IGP.

He had acted as DIG in charge of Finance and Administration and at some point served as Force secretary.

He had attended several professional courses. He is a member of Course 22/2014 of the National Defence College (NDC) Abuja and also a fellow of International War College.

The new police chief, who said in a media interview that he would like to leave a legacy of policing with human face, is due for retirement in 2023.