He was born on 17 September 1961 and enlisted into the Nigerian Police Force in 1986, after graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with a bachelor's degree in Geography. He also holds a master's degree in International Criminal Justice System from the University of Portsmouth, England. Between 1983 and 1984, Adamu had his National Youth Service Corps in Wamba, Nasarawa State and taught Geography at Government Teachers College, Wamba, Plateau State, during the one-year service, then in 1984 — 1986, he was appointed as Geography tutor and later promoted to Vice Principal at Government Day Secondary School, Gunduma, Keffi, Plateau State, but presently in Nasarawa State.
Few years later, he joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1986, and trained at the Police College in Ikeja, Lagos State where he worked as the Divisional Crime & Administrative Officer at the Mgbidi Police Station in Mgbidi, Imo State. He served at many levels such as Officer in charge of General Investigation at the NPF Zone 6 Headquarters in Calabar. Adamu also has extensive international experience, he worked at Interpol's NCB in Lagos from 1989-1997. He was the first Nigerian to be seconded to Interpol General Secretariat, Lyon in 1997 where he served as specialized officer in Economic and Financial Crime, Sub-directorate from 1997- 2002. He became the first black African to be appointed Assistant Director in charge of African Sub-Directorate from 2002-2005. He was again the first African in the history of INTERPOL to serve as Director when he was appointed director of NCB Services and I-24/7 Development from 2005-2007. When he returned to Nigeria, he appointed as Director in charge of Peacekeeping and Training at the Nigeria Police Headquarters, Abuja. Between 2013 and 2015 he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police and Commissioner of Police in Enugu State command. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as the Acting Inspector General of Police on January 15, 2019, to replace Ibrahim Idris. Barely a week after he took over, He disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad established by the previous Inspector General of Police. On the 28th of January 2019, Adamu acting as the new inspector general of police submitted six names of the new deputy inspectors of police to the police service commission for general approval. His full appointment as the 20th indigenous inspector general of police was confirmed by Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President of Nigeria on the 23rd of May, 2019.
Awards
Amongst others, he was awarded as 2015 Best Commissioner of Police in community policing in Nigeria.
