Arase out as Tinubu appoints Hashimu Argungu as PSC chairman

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Hashimu Argungu, a retired police officer, as the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced the appointment in a statement released on Monday.

Ngelale said other PSC members will be appointed in due course, adding that the appointments are subject to confirmation by the senate.

The president also appointed Mohammed Sheidu as the executive secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) with immediate effect.

Argungu will succeed Solomon Arase, a former inspector-general of police (IGP), as chairman of PSC.

In March 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari swore in Arase as the PSC chairman after confirmation by the senate.

Arase retired from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in 2016 after serving as the 18th IGP.

Argungu was born on July 10, 1957. He joined the police in 1984 and retired in 2016 as the deputy inspector-general of police (DIG).

According to his profile published on the website of NPF Microfinance Bank, Argungu has a master of law (LL.M.), a bachelor of law (LL.B.), a bachelor of arts education (B.A.ED.), a Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE), and a grade II teachers’ certificate.

Before his retirement, he held several positions in the force, including assistant inspector-general of police zone 5 command headquarters in Benin, commissioner of police in Jigawa state, and deputy commissioner of police, legal, and prosecution services at FCID FHQ Abuja.

ICIR PETITIONED TINUBU OVER ILLEGAL SALE OF POLICE PROPERTY BY ARASE 

In February 2024, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) published a report on how some officers of the Nigeria Police Mortgage Bank, two former IGPs, and a contractor were enmeshed in allegations of corruption involving forgery and bribery in an alleged illegal sale of police land designated for the construction of barracks in Abuja.

In the report, the names of Ibrahim Idris and Arase, former IGPs, were mentioned for allegedly collecting a N400 million bribe for the award of contracts.

In May, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) detained Dayo Aiyetan, the executive director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), and Nurudeen Akewushola, a reporter, after honouring the invitation.

Aiyetan and Akewushola were invited by the police owing to the report that exposed abuse of office by two former IGPs and other senior officers.

Subsequently, Ikechukwu Ani, PSC spokesperson, said Arase had taken ICIR to court over the report.

Recently, ICIR sent a petition to President Bola Tinubu over the illegal sale of police property and abuse of office by Arase and Kayode Egbetokun, the current IGP.

The media organisation said Arase has been using the offices of the IGP and NPF-NCCC to “harass and intimidate” its journalists following the report.