Nigeria’s 21st Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mustapha Balogun, is dead.
Balogun, a lawyer who died on Thursday night at Reddington Hospital, Lagos, would have been 75 on Monday.
Born on August 8, 1947 at Ila-Orangun in Osun State, Tafa Balogun, succeeded Musiliu Smith as IGP. He was a member of cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Course 3.
Having worked in various police commands throughout the federation, and earning his promotions as at when due, Tafa, was at a time, the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to former Inspector-General of Police, Muhammadu Gambo, Deputy Commissioner of Police Edo State, the pioneer Commissioner of Police (CP) in Delta State and also CP in Rivers and Abia states.
Balogun, a fellow of the premier highest military institution in Nigeria, the National War College, later became the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone One, Kano, from where he was named the 21st IGP on March 6, 2002 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He attended the University of Lagos, graduating in 1972 with a B.A. in Political Science. In May 1973, he joined the Nigeria Police Force. While a police officer, he gained a law degree from the University of Ibadan.
Balogun became IGP in March 2002, replacing Musiliu Smith. He was responsible for overall police security during the April 2003 national elections.
Towards the end of 2004, there were allegations of corruption on a massive scale, against Balogun in which he was accused of pocketing public money and taking bribes from politicians and criminals. These led to his forced retirement in January 2005.
On April 4, 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.
Faced with overwhelming evidence, 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 and was released on February 9, 2006 after serving his sentence, part of it in Abuja National Hospital.
