[1947 -2022] Life and times of late ex-IGP, Tafa Balogun

Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mustapha Balogun, is dead.

Balogun, who became IGP in March 2002, died on Thursday night.

Born25 August 1947, Mustafa Adebayo Balogun hails from Ila Orangun, Osun State.

A respected investigation officer of the Nigerian Police Investigation (NPF) was widely known as Kumawu. He was appointed Inspector General of the Nigerian Police in March 2002 and was retired in January 2025 following widespread charges of corruption.

He attended the University of Lagos, graduating in 1972 with a B.A. in Political Science. He joined the Nigeria Police Force in May 1973.

While a police officer, he gained a law degree from the University of Ibadan. After working in various positions around the country, he became Principal Staff Officer to former Inspector-General of Police, Muhammadu Gambo, then Deputy Commissioner of Police in Edo State, and then Commissioner of Police first in Delta State and then in Rivers State and Abia State.

He was appointed Assistant Inspector General of Police in A.I.G Zone One Kano, the position he held when promoted to Inspector General of Police on 6 March 2002.

In November 2001, as A.I.G., Tafa Balogun reassured reporters that there were provisions to ensure the safety of businessmen in Nigeria through the called Diplomatic Corp and Foreign National Protection Unit.

IGP role

Mustafa Adebayo Balogun became IGP in March 2002, replacing Musiliu Smith.[4] He was responsible for overall police security during the April 2003 national elections, which were marred by reports of police abuses.

In August 2003, Tafa Balogun presented a paper on “Nigeria: Electoral Violence and National Security” in which he advocated improvements such as use of national identity cards, mass education, electoral law reforms, citizens participation in politics, good governance and establishment of a constitutional court.

In December 2003, Tafa Balogun organised extensive security measures across Nigeria to ensure that there were no disturbances during the Commonwealth of Nations summit.[7] Following various incidents in 2004 where reporters were beaten and their equipment damaged by police men, Tafa Balogun made apologies and promised that those responsible would be punished.

Towards the end of 2004, newspapers published allegations of corruption on a massive scale, asserting that Tafa Balogun had pocketed public money and taken bribes from politicians and criminals. These led to his forced retirement in January 2005.

Career

On 4 April 2005, Tafa Balogun was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja on charges involving about N13 billion obtained through money laundering, theft and other sources. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under Nuhu Ribadu brought 70 charges against Tafa Balogun covering the period from 2002 to 2004.

He made a plea bargain with the court in exchange for returning much of the property and money. He was sentenced to six months in jail. He was released on 9 February 2006 after serving his sentence, part of it in Abuja National Hospital.

In November 2008 and again in February 2009, the Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, asked the Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro, to provide details of the money recovered from Tafa Balogun, a request that he passed on to the EFCC chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri.

The EFCC, however, stated that they did not have records of the exact properties recovered from Balogun.[11] It was said that some of the houses had been secretly sold to certain individuals at give-away prices.

In April 2009, the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs invited Tafa Balogun, Mike Okiro and Mrs Farida Waziri to explain how the N16 billion allegedly recovered from Balogun got missing.

(Vanguard)