The appointment of Garba Umar as senior security adviser is meant to enable him complete his tenure as an executive member of the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) in 2023.

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a retiring Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Garba Umar, as senior security adviser on International Police Cooperation and Counter-terrorism in the office of the Minister of Police Affairs.

The president's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The president, who leaves office on 29 May, said the appointment was meant to enable Nigeria to keep the important position and make way for Mr Umar to complete his nationally beneficial tenure as an Executive Member of the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL).

In approving his appointment, Mr Buhari took note of a precedent in which a former executive member, Kamal Subair, was retained in service by the Federal Government of Nigeria after retirement in 2018.

The president also took note of the fact that during his tenure as a member of the executive committee, Mr Umar assisted Nigeria in many ways, with the hope that in the remaining one year, he will even do more in securing equipment for crimes, border management and counter-terrorism for the country.

According to him, Mr Umar is also expected to help in getting more Nigerians into important positions in the INTERPOL.

Mr Umar's tenure at the INTERPOL ends in November 2024, and his new appointment as Senior Security Adviser takes effect from 16 May, 2023.