New Interpol horizons: Fresh Eyes, Deeper Perspectives

The essence of this narrative can best be understood by the ambience of the true story captured in the movie ‘the perfect storm’. In this Hollywood epic , a collusion of coincidences came together to orchestrate an event so pervasive in reach, that escape from its influence proved near impossible. 

Let me explain in further detail. When our able president, Muhammadu Buhari assumed helmsmanship , he promised reviving all our institutions and security being a cornerstone of his policy drive, the police and military took center stage. To his credit, no president in recent history has invested more in our military infrastructure and weaponry than PMB. Our brand new Tucanos bear unimpeachable testimony to this .

The Nigeria police has been caught in the rippling effect of these expenditures  In response to the headwinds from the politically motivated ENDSARS tumult,  the NPF has had to reinvent itself along structural and administrative lines. For this marvel of restructuring, the current IGP, Alkali must take full credit.  The police, once held in derision as pariahs are now being celebrated as folk heroes. There is a palpable joor de vivre at Force HQ as the flood of IGP Alkali’s innovations burst every dam. The ambit of this narrative will not permit us to savor the many succulent details of his top down,groundbreaking administrative style: suffice it to say he takes EVERY element into account. 
Recently, it was reported that he made  a disguised visit to a major police station where he ordered the immediate release of incarcerated suspects while ordering the investigation of officers guilty of over reach.  

IGP Alkali’s Renaissance is important to mention because it has laid the ground work for the rising of many stars within the force that would have gone unnoticed . One of the key players in this band of ‘police notables’ that the IGP’s light has helped to shine is AIG Umar Garba 
Garba Umar, fondly called GARUS or Mr WONDERFUL  in my view, one of those profound enigmas that can only be broadly described as an entail of Providence’s fortuitous workings: Heavenly sanction, as it were, of a personal persuasion.

 How else do you explain a man that would freely tell you “I was born for this. law enforcement is in my genes,all my life, I’ve been trying to get into the Police, or staying in it”! This despite the sacrifice and the challenges. You live for the office EVERYDAY, with no guaranty that you are coming back to your family alive! What a heart, and what devotion! And bountifully has the hand of fate rewarded the unswerving dedication. As AIG Garba would modestly tell you, at every critical juncture of my career, God has helped me with challenging, but equally rewarding professional options. Yes, he clearly alludes, ” I did my utmost to obtain the most exacting skill set, mental outlook in terms of contingency plans, therefore I made the most of my opportunities, but I give Almighty God the glory for my promotions and advancements. 

Law enforcement is about team work, more so with the Police and its teeming units whose focus and efforts converge under one umbrella,maintaining the peace while securing life and property. It’s thus imperative for everyone on the team to be constantly at their best .
In terms of self development, AIG’s thirst for professional and mental acuity have been nothing short of relentless. Even as a rookie when the stakes were not that high, he pursued academic excellence in favor of just treading water, waiting for the next promotion or posting.. 

In the tough but rewarding trajectory of his career, our fine senior officer has notched up quite a litany of postings under his belt, having served for over 30 years. All through these years, he has remained a slave to the law, never compromising it for friend or foe and it’s this endearing quality that has kept him head and shoulders above the crowd . AIG Umar  Garba will never pull rank on you, nor inflict the guiltless, but God help you if you run foul of the law. He will chase you to the ends of the earth. 

Now comes a fresh defining moment in his career, the Vice Presidency of Interpol Africa. 

As you know already, interpol represents an amalgam of police authorities on a global scale. It’s an umbrella institution that epitomizes synergy in universal law enforcement. Through such parameters as information overlap, data comparison, inter agency cooperation, etc, 
police authorities worldwide combat crimes on different fronts so to speak, a common threshold.

Here again, we readily see how Providence has created in AIG  Umar Garba, an optimal candidate for the opening: his exposure to a variegated work environment has spawned an uncanny ability to multi task while adopting a  fluid approach to evolving threats. Additionally, the multi cultural setting policing in Nigeria is confronted with, provides a rich context for cross border consultation, the very soul of Interpol. 

This is not written to garner local support for AIG Garus and his quest. it is an appeal for the earnest of your prayers and goodwill . His victory will bring the nation glory and grant us much global leverage .

From 22nd November, 2021, the General Assembly of the International Police, INTERPOL, would converge in Istanbul, Turkey, where between 23rd -25th November 2021, it would hold the 89th session of the Assembly, as well as elect the President , Vice President and other elective positions of the INTERPOL by members from 194 countries , where we hopefully and pray our very own AIG UMar Garba Baba , emerges as the Vice President, Interpol Africa .

I believe AIG Umar Garba will not only thrive in Interpol leadership, he will excel.

Nigerians have a penchant for ploughing unfamiliar terrain, tilling difficult soils, and yes, generating prolific harvests. A case in point, Akinwumi “Akin” Adesina a Nigerian economist who is currently serving as the President of the African Development Bank, Amina Mohammed who is serving as the fifth Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations ,NationsNgozi Okonjo-Iweala who became the seventh Director-General of the WTO, Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the United Nations General Assembly. The list goes on. 

Our national participation made a difference in their nomination. I believe the federal government under the able stewardship of PMB and the entire Nation should give this our noble son all the support and encouragement to clinch this nomination and bring great acclaim to the motherland.

AIG Garba Baba Umar is a Counter Terrorism Expert and Intelligence Analyst.

Vision: The actualization of the globalization of the activities of INTERPOL driven by technological innovations.

Mission: To ensure that Technological innovations become important tools in policing and law enforcement worldwide geared towards enhancing the safety and the betterment of the world.

BACKGROUND

Date of Birth: 15/5/1963

Education: Master’s in Law and Criminal Justice (MLC) – 2013, Master’s Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies (MIRSS) – 2002, Diploma in Law Criminal Justice Administration (CJA), University of Lagos UNILAG – 1997, Bachelor of Education (Language Arts) B. Ed (LA) – 1985, National Certificate in Education (NCE) – 1982, Grade II- 1980, First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) – 1975, Enlisted into the Nigeria Police in 1990 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police.

Has over thirty years of policing experience both at National and International levels having enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force in 1990 and rose to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In the course of his career as a law enforcement officer and particularly as the Head, NCB Abuja, he has always engendered International Policing cooperation by according high respect to Law Enforcement Agencies and Officers globally.

National Policing Professional Experience:

He has the professional and managerial skills acquired over a period spanned more than thirty years in National and International Police duties as an asset which will come to bear on his functions as a Vice President for Africa INTERPOL having served in various capacities including the following:

1. Assistant Inspector-General of Police INTERPOL and Head National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja-Nigeria 31st December, 2020 to date.
2. Commissioner of Police INTERPOL and Head of National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja-Nigeria 28th March 2019, to 31st December 2020.
3. Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration and Operations in two of the volatile States Bauchi and Anambra Police Commands that experienced insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria.
4. Commissioner of Police in-charge of Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja-Nigeria, directly responsible for coordinating a number of sensitive intelligence and operational outfits of Nigeria Police Force, 2016-2017
5. Director Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Terrorism & Heinous Crimes –2016.
6. Director Analytical Tracking & Interception Centre (ATIC) FCIID Abuja-Nigeria – 2011-2015.
7. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Admin), Police College Kaduna- Nigeria 2011.
8. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Force Criminal Intelligence & Investigation Dept. FHQ, Abuja- Nigeria 2009-2011.
9. Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ikoyi-Lagos-Nigeria 2001- 2005.
10. Officer in Charge of Monitoring Unit, Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos-Nigeria 1995.

ADHOC ASSIGNMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Member Presidential Task Force on Airports and Seaports Decongestion – 1995.
2. Chairman Security Committee Nigerian Team, World Cup South –Africa – 2010.
3. Chief Detail, Local Organizing Committee Scotland 2013 Olympics.
4. Head, Security Committee Russia 2018 World Cup.
5. Security Detail Olympics Athens Greece 2004.
6. Chairman Security Committee on National Sports Festival Rivers State-Nigeria.
7. Security Advisor-Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
8. Chairman Nigeria Police Football Association.
9. Successfully conducted the most peaceful Election in turbulent States like; Rivers, Anambra, Ekiti, Edo and Ondo States-Nigeria.

Achievements in the Security Sector

1. The First to organize INTERPOL WEEK in the history of INTERPOL in Nigeria.
2. The pioneer Director Analytical Tracking & Interception Centre (ATIC), FCIID Abuja Nigeria – 2011.
3. The pioneer Director, Inspector-General of Police Special Task-Force on Terrorism & Heinous Crimes that handles all Security Agencies’ cases related to Boko Haram (BH) Terrorist groups– 2012.
4. The First Police Officer to Profile Boko Haram (BH) suspects, and brought into limelight their Modus Operandi, Booklet/Video/Manuals and consequently arrested the dreaded Boko Haram (BH) Terrorist, Kabiru Sokoto -2012.
5. Coordinated the extradition of wanted fugitive by the EFCC Abdulrasheed Maina from Niger Republic.
6. Prevent attack by Cybercriminals who attempted to infiltrate and compromise the servers of Sensitive Government Infrastructures and Financial Institutions in Nigeria.
7. Facilitated the establishment of the Nigeria joint command and control center for all the Law Enforcement Agencies to monitor and coordinate crime control and give back situation analyses to the Nigeria authority for further directives.
8. Facilitated the establishment of the Nigeria Police Central Crime Datacenter located at the Force Headquarters Abuja Nigeria.
9. Facilitated the ongoing construction of the Nigerian National Central Bureau Headquarters in Abuja- Nigeria (7 storey buildings).
10. Facilitated the construction of the Ongoing Nigerian Police Force Cybercrime Center. Abuja-Nigeria.

National and International Awards and Medals: 

1. Role Model Award Mic-Sage Communications Int’l Lagos – 2004 Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), Anti-Crime Award –2006
2. Security Watch Africa Award for the Best PMF Squadron Commander (19 PMF Port Harcourt) – 2007/2008 
3. The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia for the rescue of an Indonesian citizen – 2011.
4. Nigeria Security Matters Award 2017”, as most outstanding Commissioner of Police in Nigeria on Election Security”.
5. Africa Security Watch Award Ghana – 2018, as “The Outstanding Crime Bursting CP’’
6. PAN-African Leadership Transparent Centre, Abuja, as a “Dedicated Servant of Nigeria (DSN) Country Crime Magazine 2020 as Man of the Year Award.
7. The first Nigerian Police Officer to receive who is who Award.

 HOBBIES: Reading, Football, Travelling and Dancing.