The Police Service Commission, PSC, has reinstated the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu as an Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, with effect from 22 December, 2008.

Nuhu Ribadu

The PSC made the announcement today in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

However, the commission converted Ribadu’s dismissal from the force to retirement.

Ribadu, who was promoted AIG during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was demoted from that rank to Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, in November, 2007, after he was removed as EFCC chairman in 2007 and sent on a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Jos.

About two weeks ago, Ribadu’s name was struck off the security watch list. This was after the Code of Conduct Tribunal dropped charges against him.

Ribadu, who has been on self exile in the United States of America following alleged threats to his life, was declared wanted by the police last year after he failed to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

The Justice Constance Momoh-led three-man panel issued a bench warrant against Ribadu for failing to honour its invitation.

The former EFCC boss was accused of not declaring his asset as required of a public servant while in office.

EFCC, now headed by Farida Waziri, also accused him of fraudulently benefiting from the sale of properties seized from convicted felons such as former governor of Bayelsa State, Alamieyeseigha, former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, 419 kingpin, Emmanuel Nwude and others.

Ribadu denied the allegation, saying he was not involved in the sale of the seized properties.

According to him, “for the avoidance of doubt, the truth of the matter was that the court ordered the disposal of Nwude’s property as restitution to the rightful owners of the stolen assets and the disposal was handled by lawyers to the complainants.”

In what was seen as vendetta against Ribadu, after he was removed as EFCC Chairman by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua administration in 2007, he was sent on a year’s training course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, in Kuru, Jos.

Ribadu was demoted from Assistant Inspector-General AIG of Police, to a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, by the Police Service Commission, PSC, before he was eventually dismissed from the force for alleged gross insubordination. He has since challenged his demotion at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

He left for the United Kingdom in January last year to study after which he went to the United States of America.

He is expected back in the country soon to join the Goodluck Jonathan administration.