The Nigeria Formed Police Unit (NFPU), part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), has a new commander.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammed Ibrahim took command of the unit during a handover ceremony in Mogadishu.
Ibrahim, now commands the eleventh NFPU contingent to be deployed to the mission previously known as AMISOM, replaces SP Samuel Bassey Ita.
Assistant Inspector General of Police Augustine Kailie commended the outgoing NFPU commander and his team for serving with honour, professionalism and courage to advance the ATMIS mandate.
“We have gone through hurdles in Jowhar and Beletweyne but we overcame. Your great team from Nigeria performed remarkable. Thank you for the service delivered to the people of Somalia. When you go home, share your experiences,’’ he told the outgoing team.
In his handover remarks Ita thanked officers he commanded for advancing the mission’s mandate, despite disruptions by the COVID-19 pandemic and demands to provide adequate security during the just concluded national elections.
“The major achievement since I came here was participation of my officers in the just ended elections which led to the election of members of parliament, Speakers and the President. We were part of history here in Somalia,” he said.
The 159-member NFPU contingent which completed its tour of duty served under the AMISOM/ATMIS mandate since March 2021. Forty officers were awarded medals and certificates for their exemplary service.
Incoming NFPU contingent commander Ibrahim, lauded ATMIS military, police and civilian components for progress in implementing the mission mandate.
The incoming NFPU contingent will be key in supporting capacity building for the Somalia Police Force (SPF) and full transfer of security responsibilities to the Somalia Security Forces.
In addition to joint patrols and protecting vital installations and civilians through deployments, ATMIS police support specialised training, and provide mentorship to the Somalia Police Force.
