Mike Mbama Okiro

Sir Mike Mbama Okiro was the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force from 2007 to 2009.^[1]

Background

Mike Okiro was born on 24 July 1949 in Oguta, Imo State. He is the Agunechemba I of Egbema, and Nigeria's first ethnic Igbo to assume the post of police Inspector General.^[1] He holds a degree in English Language from the University of Ibadan, a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Jos and an LLB.^[2]

He joined the Nigerian Police in 1977. Operational and command positions include serving as DPO in several police stations, Member, Armed Robbery & Firearms Tribunal, Lagos State, Assistant & Deputy Commissioner of Police (operations), Lagos State and later Benue State. He received a double promotion from Commissioner of Police when he became Deputy Inspector-General of Police.^[2] In June 2009, Okiro released a book titled "Policing Nigeria in a Democracy".^[3]

Inspector General of Police

After his appointment as IGP in 2007 Okiro reinstated a number of officers who had been forced into early retirement, and promised to provide improved pay, housing and equipment to the police.^[4] In November 2007, Okiro revealed that in the June–September 2007 period police had shot and killed 785 suspected armed robbers, while arresting 1,628 armed robbers. The Human Rights Watch organisation called for "an immediate public investigation of police activity since Okiro came to office".^[5]

In August 2008, Okiro demoted 140 senior police officers including the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu.^[6] In October 2008, Mike Okiro spoke on the responsibilities of the press, saying reporters should avoid sensationalism and should investigate any story carefully before reporting it.^[7] In February 2009 he stated that banks neglected security in their branches because they had insurance coverage.^[8]

In November 2008 and again in February 2009, the Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, asked Mike Okiro to provide details of the money recovered from the former IGP Tafa Balogun, a request that he passed on to the EFCC chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri. However, the EFCC stated that they did not have records of the exact properties recovered from Balogun.^[9] In April 2009, the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affair invited Tafa Balogun, Mike Okiro and Mrs Farida Waziri to explain how the N16 billion allegedly recovered from Balogun got missing.^[10]

In April 2009, Mrs. Ayoke Adebayo, Resident Electoral Commissioner of Ekiti State, wrote a letter to President Umaru Yar'Adua resigning from the Independent National Electoral Commission saying she would not yield to pressure to change election results in her state. Mike Mbamali Okiro declared that she must make herself available to the Nigerian Police within 24 hours.^[11]

Mike Okiro headed a five-man inter-agency panel to investigate the $190 million Halliburton scandal in which it was alleged that KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton, had distributed bribes to politicians and officials to gain construction contracts from Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas.^[12] In July 2009 it was found that a key suspect, Abdukadir Abacha, cousin of former military ruler General Sani Abacha, might have fled the country. President Yar'Adua ordered an interim report to ensure that the panel was not compromised or influenced during a planned visit abroad.^[13]

On his retirement at age 60 in July 2009, President Yar'Adua congratulated him on his achievements while in office.^[14]

Post-retirement

Shortly before his retirement in July 2009, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) accused Mike Okiro of failing to repay a N166 million loan he obtained between 2000 and 2001 from the Lead Bank, since liquidated.^[15] Okiro was said to have obtained the loan to finance a pipeline contract awarded by Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to his firm Hekiro Nigeria Limited.^[16] Okiro threatened court action against the NDIC unless it tendered an unreserved apology, but the NDIC maintained their position.^[17]

Speaking in August 2009 after a farewell parade in his honour in Abuja, Mike Okiro spoke of problems with the system where the IGP does not have the authority to fulfill his responsibilities. He also said "The unkindest cut is the attack of a public officer after he has left office with the unholy belief that he is no longer in a position to defend himself."^[18]

References