Nigeria’s Garba Umar elected INTERPOL vice-president for Africa

Garba Umar, an assistant inspector-general of police, has been elected as the vice-president of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) for Africa.

Umar was elected on Thursday at the 89th INTERPOL general assembly which was held in Istanbul, Turkey.

The AIG will hold the position for the next three years and he will serve as a member of the executive committee of INTERPOL.

Umar is the head of INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Nigeria.

He had previously held the position of INTERPOL’s police commissioner in Nigeria.

Frank Mba, police spokesperon, in a statement on Thursday, described the AIG as one of Nigeria’s “finest criminal investigators and professional strategic police managers”.

Mba said Umar would use his wealth of experience in coordinating INTERPOL operations in Africa.

“AIG Garba, one of Nigeria’s finest criminal investigators and professional strategic police manager, with over thirty (30) years policing experience both at national and international levels, polled the highest number of votes in the elections. With this appointment, which will span through a period of 3 years,” the statement reads.

“AIG Garba is expected to bring his wealth of experience to bear in coordinating INPERPOL operations targeted at ensuring a safer world for people and communities across the African continent.

“This is in addition to drawing international policing support and cooperation towards advancing public safety and security, protecting the cyber space and generally addressing challenges faced by law enforcement officers and policing managers in the continent.”

Reacting to Umar’s election, Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior, said President Muhammadu Buhari “applauded” the development.