New York, Decemer 26, 2007---- Africans In America News Watch had learnt that Nigeria Inspector-General of Police (IG) Mr. Mike Mbama Okiro may have convinced the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to proceed on 1-year advanced course at the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru in Jos, Plateau State. EFCC is Nigerian government agency championing the nations’s war against high-level economic crimes and corruption. NIPSS is elite government policy study institution.

Though the Chairman of the anti-corruption agency, Mr. Ribadu is a Commissioner in the huge Nigeria Police Force and still under the command of the top cop, Inspector-General Okiro. As currently a commissioner, Mr. Ribadu is 3 ranks below the top cop.

Since taking over the agency and launching the crusade against corruption and looting of the public funds, Mr. Ribadu had made many politicians and other looters of government treasury very uncomfortable. Boisterous calls for his ouster by politicians and public office holders his agency is investigating and had investigated for corruption is not new in Nigeria.

Ironically, other security and para-security agencies had also felt uncomfortable with the rising profile of the young Nigerian anti-corruption czar. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under the leadership of Mr. Ribadu had successfully prosecuted many high-profile cases of corruption involving public office holders, a feat not replicated in other agencies. The agency, it was reported, could have done much better and probably reached its goal of riding Nigeria of corruption had it not been for excessive interference by leaders in its investigations.

Many Nigerians believe that the 1-year course may be a ploy by mega-powerful individuals with a lot of ‘skeletons’ on their cap-boards and therefore uncomfortable with his work to ease him out of office.

Some Nigerians eager to humiliate the anti-corruption chief are already loudly referring the 1-year course, as “sack and removal”, thereby fuelling the suspicion that the Nigeria Police Force which is Mr. Ribadu’s immediate constituency uncomfortable with his rising profile and popularity may have been used to perfect that plot, if actual the plot is real.

Recently, the Nigerian Attorney-General and Minister of Justice had been upbraided by many prominent Nigerians and others outside Nigeria for interfering in the agency’s investigation of politicians accused of gross looting of public funds. The attorney-General has been fingered as one of those spear-heading “the war against Ribadu” project.

However, sensing the danger and huge damage humiliating Mr. Ribadu could cause to Yar’Adua’s fragile government, anti-Nigeria forces (the mega-powerful individuals whose business is looting of public treasury) may have designed this 1-year course as perfect ‘ploy’ to ease him out of office without raising public suspicion. According to sources, Ribadu’s journey out of office, according to those behind the plot, would start with a year course in the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, in Jos, Plateau State in very near future.

While away in Jos, where he is expected to be fully engrossed in the full-time course, a ‘soft’ acting chairman would be appointed to take his position.

Ribadu reportedly got the IG letter on Thursday, December 13, 2007 and honored the invitation the same day. IG Okiro was said to have told him of the plan to send him to a full-time course in Kuru, while at the same time enumerating the accruable benefits of such course to the EFCC boss. The police boss was said to have hinted Ribadu that he was being picked for the course as a way of preparing him for eventual ascension to the post of the Inspector General of Police. Many believe that though IG Okiro is a fine officer and well-spoken of, he was simply passing a prepared script.

Africans In America News Watch investigation reveals mixed reactions to this development. Nigeria public office holders, politicians, government contractors, some foreign businesses and individuals that depend on Nigerian government patronage hail the development, while civil societies, major donors and the masses express serious fear that enemies of corrupt-free Nigeria had won. The members of diplomatic who generally offer opinion on condition of anonymity prefer to, “sit-down de look on this one”.

Only time shall tell whether this course is actually designed to prepare the young crime fighter for a much bigger responsibility of taking over and reforming the Nigeria Police Force, or a ‘soft-landing’, an euphemism for “sack or removal” by much powerful corrupt cabals influencing Nigeria government policies.