Tafa Balogun Death: Former Nigeria IGP Dies At 74

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A former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mustapha Balogun, has passed away.

Balogun passed away on Thursday night, according to family sources who verified it to the media. He was appointed IGP in March 2002.

He passed away when he was 74 years old.

What we know about him

• Tafa Balogun, the 21st Inspector-General of Police, was born on August 8th, 1947 in Ila-Orangun, Osun State.
• He was a cadet in the third class of the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
• Tafa was once 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.
• Tafa had worked in numerous Police commands across the federation and had received his promotions when they were due.
• He served as the CP for the states of Rivers and Abia.
• Tafa, a graduate of Nigeria’s National War College, the country’s top military school, eventually rose through the ranks to become the A.I.G. for Zone One, Kano, where he served as the interim chief of police before being nominated the 21st IGP of Police on March 6, 2002.
• 2005 saw widespread media coverage of his famous trial.
• Tafa Balogun was charged with plundering and laundering more than $100 million from the Police Treasury during his three years as Inspector General of Police on April 4, 2005 at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
• He was charged with 70 offenses by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during 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’s sentencing demonstrated that she was a first-time offender and had displayed remorse.
• The court ordered him to pay N500,000 on each of the eight allegations against him, for a total of N4,000,000.
• Controversy arose during his case. On June 29, 2005, before the Abuja High Court, one of these incidents occurred when he slumped out on his seat.
• The former police chief was found guilty and given consecutive six-month sentences for all eight of the 56 counts that directly affected him after entering a guilty plea.
• After having completed his sentence, which included time spent at the National Hospital in Abuja, he was freed on February 9, 2006.