Abuja, Jan 26 : Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan today sacked his embattled police chief Haifiz Ringim, days after coordinated terror attacks in the northern city of Kano killed 185 people, including an Indian.
Assistant Inspector General Mohammed D Abubakar has been appointed as the new Inspector General of the Nigerian Police.
President Jonathan appointed Mohammed D Abubakar to replace Ringim, “as a first step towards the comprehensive reorganisation and repositioning of the Nigeria police force to make it more effective and capable of meeting emerging internal security challenges,” said an official statement.
Ringim, who was scheduled to retire in March this year, was asked to proceed on retirement leave, preparatory to his final pull out from the law enforcement agency.
There had been speculations that Ringim may be forced to quit early following the escape of Kabiru Sokoto, a leader of radical Islamist group Boko Haram, from the custody last week. Boko Haram had claimed the responsibility for the Friday's coordinated attacks.
Meanwhile, bodies of victims who lost their lives in the coordinated terror attacks were given mass burial yesterday at the village of Kalebawa on the outskirts of Kano city.
Identified bodies were given to the bereaved families while those unidentified were conveyed from Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital mortuary to the burial site.
Sources at Murtala Mohammed Hospital told PTI that over 50 bodies were carried in two vehicles for burial after the traditional ruler of Kano Emir Ado Bayero had led other emirs on a sympathy visit to the hospital.
Earlier, the police gave a breakdown of death toll saying 150 civilians, 29 officers of the police, three members of the country's secret State Security Service, two officers of the
immigrations' service and a customs officer were killed.
