President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his condolences to Mustapha Balogun’s family, friends, and associates on Friday as they mourned Balogun’s passing.

Additionally, he shared their grief with the Nigeria Police Force, an institution Balogun according to him, spent the majority of his life.

A statement titled “President Buhari mourns former IGP, Tafa Balogun” and signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, contains Buhari’s condolences.

Adesina said, “The President recalls that Tafa Balogun, during his tenure as IGP, did his utmost to ensure that the police performed its statutory responsibilities under a democratic dispensation; and his penchant for boosting the morale of officers and men in the Force has been acknowledged by those who served under him.

“President Buhari’s thoughts are with the family, the government and people of Osun State, as well as colleagues and former colleagues of the deceased police chief.”

He, therefore, prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the departed.

Recall that the former Inspector-General of Police, Mustapha Balogun, died at a hospital in Lekki, Lagos at about 8:30 pm on Thursday during a brief illness, according to family sources.

Born August 25, 1947, in Ila Orangun, Osun State, he was appointed the IGP in March 2002.

Balogun died at 74, a few days to his 75th birthday.

He was a member of Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police Course 3. He worked in various Police commands across the federations and was promoted as of when due. He was also a Principal Staff Officer to the former IGP, Muhammadu Gambo, Deputy Commission of Police, Edo State, and the pioneer Commissioner of Police in Delta State.

He also served as a Commissioner of Police in Rivers and Abia states.

On March 6, 2002, he was promoted to the position of assistant inspector general of police, and he was given jurisdiction over Zone One in Kano State.

In 2020, the corruption case against Balogun, who was found guilty in 2005 of eight counts of corruption, was revisited.