President Buhari offers condolences as Coomassie’s remains laid to rest, as APC mourn ex-IGP

*Coomassie: Life in service and retirement

By Bashir Adefaka

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday offered condolences to the family and relatives of the late Inspector General of Police (Rtd), Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, and to the government and people of Katsina State, describing him as a valiant officer who brought honour to the nation.

The President, who was represented at the funeral in Katsina by a Federal Government delegation led by his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, said the country had lost a conscientious, competent and patriotic citizen who would be sorely missed.

President Buhari paid his condolences just as the nation’s governing Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) roared a sound of sorrow from 40 Blantyre Street, Wuse II, Abuja National Secretariat mourning the late security top bras that was also Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

In a letter presented to Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, according to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu copy of which was made available to The DEFENDER on Friday, President Buhari said: “The late Ibrahim Coomassie, Sardaunan Katsina, was a dedicated public servant who served creditably as Nigeria’s Chief Police Officer.

“He was a conscientious, competent and patriotic officer who brought honour to himself and to the nation.

“His stewardship of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, which helped successive governments to maintain harmony will be sorely missed.”

Governor Masari, who received the delegation at the Government House, thanked the President for showing affection to the people of the state, adding that the death of Coomassie was a loss not only to his state, Katsina, but the entire country.

The delegation was also received at the Palace by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman and that of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar.

The Emir of Katsina called on Nigerians to support President Buhari’s reforms aimed at the betterment of the country.

The delegation included Senator Abu Ibrahim, from Katsina South; the Ministers of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazau; Education, Adamu Adamu; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and the Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing,  Sulaiman Hassan.

The Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Babba Kaita; a nephew of the President, Musa Daura; and Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, were also part of the delegation.

Ibrahim Coomassie: Nigeria has lost a progressive voice – APC

In the meantime, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a statement signed by his National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, copy of which sent to The DEFENDER on Friday, said with the demise of Coomassie, Nigeria has lost a progressive voice.

The statement said, “The All Progressives Congress (APC) mourns the passing of Alh. Ibrahim Coomassie, the longest serving Inspector-General of Police, who died on Thursday at the age of 76.

“Our great Party extends condolences to his immediate family, Nigerian Police Force, Katsina Emirate, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), government and people of Katsina state. May Almighty Allah grant the late Ibrahim Coomassie eternal rest and his family and loved ones the strength to bear this great loss.

“The APC particularly hail the progressive role the late Ibrahim Coomassie played as Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). He was a leading and influential voice who regularly highlighted the strategic importance of the country’s north within the larger Nigerian context and sought to correct the negative portrayal of the region.

“While we mourn his passage, we take pride that the late Ibrahim Coomassie who held traditional title of Sardaunan Katsina, lived an accomplished, exemplary and impactful life worthy of celebration and emulation.

“Even in death, we now have a collective duty to keep alive his struggle and campaign for a peaceful and secured country, particularly the northern regions.”

Buried in Katsina

The remains of the former Inspector-General of Police and Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, was buried in Rimin-Badawa cemetery, Katsina on Friday.

The funeral prayer which took place 2.06 p.m shortly after Juma’at service, was led by Sheikh Samu Adam, the Chief Imam of Bin Coomassie Juma’at Mosque, Katsina, with many sympathisers, associates, friends and well-wishers in attendance.

Dignitaries who participated in the funeral prayer include: the Emirs of Daura and Katsina, Alhaji Umar Faruq and Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman,the Minister of Interior and retired Lt.-Gen. Abdurrahman Dambazau.

The Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, and  a prominent businessman Alhaji Samaila Isa Funtua also witnessed the occasion.

The Chief Imam prayed Almighty Allah to forgive the deceased his sins and grant his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

According to the cleric, death is inevitable, adding that it can “anyone at anytime and anywhere”.

He urged Muslims to always fear Allah by obeying His injunctions and be prepared for death at anytime.

Coomassie died on Thursday at 76 at Amadi Rimi Orthopaedic Hospital, Katsina.

He is survived by one wife, six children and many grandchildren.

The deceased served as the Inspector-General of Police between 1993 and 1999.

He also held several other positions, which include, Police Commissioner in Kano State among other positions in the office.  He was Sardaunan Katsina.

Coomassie: Life in service and retirement

Ibrahim Coomassie was a Nigerian police officer and the 9th Inspector General of Nigerian Police serving between 1993 and 1999, under the military governments of Generals Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar. He died on Thursday 19 July 2018 after a protracted illness. He was 76 years old.

Ibrahim Coomassie was among the eldest sons of Malam Ahmadu Coomassie, an educationist and businessman who became a permanent secretary of the ministry of education in the Northern region.  Ibrahim Coomassie was born in Katsina State on 18 March 1942. He was educated at the Provincial Secondary School, Zaria, Barewa College, Zaria, the Detective Training College, Wakefield, UK and Washington DC in the United States.

In 1993, Ibrahim Coomassie was appointed Inspector General of the Nigerian police, succeeding Aliyu Atta. In June 1994, president-elect M.K.O. Abiola was arrested without warrant and detained by the police. He was mistreated in prison, where he was held for four years before dying in June 1998. Although head of police, Coomassie evaded responsibility for the detention.

In 1996, Coomassie launched an investigation into police actions during the military rule of General Ibrahim Babangida (1985–1993).^[6] In July 1997, Coomassie said he wanted to question the American Ambassador and members of the US Embassy staff about a series of bombings of military targets. The government had accused the National Democratic Coalition of responsibility, and said publicly that they suspected American diplomats knew about the bombings in advance.

In March 1998, Ibrahim Coomassie said that the press was misinterpreting a speech that head of state General Sani Abacha had made in November 1997. He said General Abachi had promised to grant amnesty to some prisoners, but not to release political detainees. At a police graduation ceremony in July 1998, Coomassie warned the new officers against corrupt practices, and said he had ordered the removal of all police roadblocks. However, the police roadblocks continued. In 1998, Coomassie observed that any time a citizen became a public figure, his first act was to ask for an orderly and policement to guard his house, as a status symbol.

Sani Abacha died in June 1998, apparently of a heart attack. A federal government delegation led by Ibrahim Coomassie paid a formal condolence visit to Mrs. Abacha. During the visit, she accused a prominent member of the delegation of being responsible for Abacha’s death, and asked Coomassie to arrest him.

In January 1999, Coomassie was part of a delegation that flew to Libya, despite a UN ban on air travel to that country, and held talks with the Libyan Foreign Affairs Minister.  Ibrahim Coomassie retired from service and left with the Government of General Abdulsalami Abubakar in May 1999.

In October 1999, government investigations into abuses by the Abacha regime, including the assassination of Kudirat Abiola (wife of M.K.O. Abiola) in 1996 and the suspected murder of Shehu Musa Yar’Adua in detention in December 1997, resulted in the arrest of Ibrahim Coomassie and other leading figures, including Mohammed Abacha, the dictator’s son.  Coomassie was placed under house arrest.  Coomassie was reportedly scheduled to appear before the police’s Special Investigation Panel. However, later that month, Information Minister Dapo Sarumi denied reports that Coomassie was under arrest.

In August 2004, the Emir of Katsina appointed him to a committee to the development and growth of Jamaatul Nasir Islam’s activities in the state.  He became a member of the board of trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum for Katsina State. The forum’s mission is to protect the interest of Northern Nigeria and promote healthy co-existence that will sustain the environmental quality, livability, and economic vibrancy of the region.   In September 2008 he suffered serious injuries in a car accident, and spent some time in intensive care.  In August 2009, he donated about a million Naira worth of laboratory science equipment to the Police Boys secondary school, Mani, in Katsina State.  He died on 19 July 2018.