Mustapha Balogun, Former Inspector General Of Police Is Dead

Former Inspector General Of Police Is Dead

An ex-Inspector General of Police from Nigeria has passed away.

Touchaheart Nigeria reports that Mustapha Balogun, a former Inspector General of Police (IGP), is dead. On Thursday, Tafa Balogun passed away.

The late Inspector General of Police was born on August 8, 1947, at Ila-Orangun in Osun State, according to this online news source.

Touchaheart reports that Tafa Balogun was the 21st Inspector-General of Police. He was a cadet in the third class of the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

Tafa was at one point the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to former Inspector-General of Police Muhammadu Gambo, Deputy Commission of Police Edo State, and the first Commissioner of Police in Delta State after serving in various Police commands across the federation and receiving promotions when they were due.

In the states of Rivers and Abia, he was also CP.

Tafa, a fellow of Nigeria’s top military school, the National War College, later rose to the position of Assistant Inspector General of Police in Kano before being appointed the 21st Inspector General of Police on March 6, 2002.

In 2005, his infamous trial received international notice. Tafa Balogun was charged on April 4, 2005, at the Federal High Court in Abuja with stealing and laundering more than $100 million during his three years as Inspector General of Police.

He was charged with 70 offenses by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Nuhu Ribadu between the years of 2002 and 2004, while he served as the Inspector General of Police. He agreed to a plea deal with the judge in return for giving back most of the goods and cash. He received a six-month prison term.

According to Judge Binta Nyako, Balogun was the first offender and had displayed regret, which was reflected in her punishment.

The court ordered him to pay N500,000 on each of the eight allegations against him, for a total of N4,000,000.

His trial was a dramatic mess. One of these incidents occurred on June 29, 2005, before the Abuja High Court when he passed out on his seat.

Balogun was found guilty and given consecutive six-month sentences for each of the eight offenses that directly affected him out of the total 56 counts against him.

On February 9, 2006, the late Inspector General of Police was freed after completing part of his sentence at the National Hospital in Abuja.