The FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma has been appointed to replace Ibrahim Magu as the new Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Magu was accused of corruption, insubordination and abuse of office by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami

Bala Ciroma, prior to becoming FCT CP was described as a shrewd crack detective. He also served as Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (CIID) of the FCT Police Command.

Ciroma was also at a time the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Welfare) in the Finance and Administration Department at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Who is Bala Ciroma?

He was a Criminal Investigator ‘From EFCC’ appointed to restore peace to Plateau in 2018.

A Muslim and native of Yobe, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from the University of Maiduguri in 1988, who had his primary and secondary schools in Lagos and Kaduna.

Ciroma joined the Nigeria Police Force on March 3, 1990 with the rank of Superintendent of Police.

Bala Ciroma was serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department in Abuja. He has received endorsements for Criminal Investigation on his LinkedIn profile.

He was also the Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, FCT Command, has also served as Head of Operations, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.

As of 2016, he was a member of the Police Service Commission (PSC) that promoted four Commissioners of Police to the next rank of Assistant Inspectors-General of Police.

Also in 2016, he was a member of a Police committee inaugurated by the IGP to review the Nigeria Police investment companies and subsidiaries, and produce a white paper within a month.

The investments were: the Nigeria Police Cooperative, the NPF Pensions Ltd, the Police Property Development and Construction Company, the Police Microfinance Bank, the Police Health Maintenance and the NPF Mortgage Bank.

He also led investigators to arrest an infamous armed robbery gang led by one Dr. Ola Solomon Jimade, the proprietor of Vital Care Hospital, Kubwa, Abuja. Several members of the gang were arrested, including one Sunday Okhomode, who coordinated their robberies by blaring car horn at gatemen who then open the gates for them assuming they are members of the household.

Mr Ciroma also investigated the case of Maryam Sanda and her mother, Maimuna Aliyu.

Sanda stood trial for the alleged murder of Bilyamin Bello, her husband.

Bilyamin was a son to a former PDP Chairman, Bello Haliru.

Mr Bala Ciroma before his appointment as EFCC boss was FCT Commissioner of Police.

He has gone back ‘home’ to replace Ibrahim Magu.