THE Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the immediate retirement of officers above 60 or those who have served for 35 years.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, on Friday, January 31, the commission at its 24th plenary meeting of 27th and 28th September 2017 had approved that recruits and other officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) should have their date of appointment in the Force against the date of their enlistment documented.
“Accordingly, the commission, at its 1st extraordinary meeting of the 6th management board held today, Friday, 31st January 2025, approved the immediate retirement of those officers who have spent more than 35 years in service and those above 60 years of age.”
The commission’s chairman, Hashimu Argungu, a retired deputy inspector-general of police, presided over the meeting, which had Adamu Paul Galumje, a retired justice of the Supreme Court, who represented the judiciary in attendance.
Also in attendance at the meeting were Taiwo Lakanu, a deputy inspector general of police, who represented the police; and Onyemuchi Nnamani, the commission’s secretary.
The commission added that it had conveyed the decision to the inspector general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, for implementation.
This is coming amid controversy surrounding Egbetokun’s tenure as the NPF chief.
Decision comes amid protests against Egbetokun’s continued stay in office
Egbetokun has continued to face the heat since Monday, January 27, when a human rights activist and the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, honoured the police invitation in Abuja.
Sowore was later charged by the police for alleged cyberstalking and false publication against Egbetokun on Tuesday, January 28.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja and shared by Sowore’s handle on X, showed that the lawsuit stemmed from his posts on X, where he was said to have referred to Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP.”
According to the charge sheet seen by The ICIR, the police accused Sowore of making statements capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
Sowore, in a fresh post on his Facebook handle on Thursday, January 30, insisted that the IGP’s tenure was illegal.
However, in a statement signed by police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, on Thursday, the NPF said Sowore’s claim was unfounded and sought to undermine the legitimacy of the IGP’s appointment as well as public confidence in the police.
It referred to Part III, Section 7 (6) of the amended Police Act, 2020, which states, “The person appointed to the office of the inspector-general of police shall hold office for four years.”
According to the police, this amendment aims to provide stability and continuity in the leadership of the NPF, enabling the IGP to implement long-term plans and policies without fear of abrupt termination.
“It is crucial for members of the public to be aware that IGP Egbetokun’s status as the 22nd Indigenous inspector-general of police is both legally and procedurally sound,” the NPF stated.
The police said it viewed Sowore’s claim as an attempt to erode public trust and foster confusion regarding the force’s leadership.
Quoting relevant portions of the amended Police Act, the attorney-general of the federation, Lateef Fagbemi, a senior advocate, also averred that Egbetokun’s continued stay in office was legal.
Genesis of crisis
The ICIR reports that President Bola Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as acting IGP’ in October 2023, pending his confirmation by the National Assembly.
The appointment took effect on the 31st of the same month.
Egbetokun should have left office on September 4, 2024, the day he clocked 60.
Rather than allow him to go, the Tinubu-led Federal Government pushed a bill for the amendment of the Police Act, which consequently paved the way for the IGP’ to remain in office for four uninterrupted years, meaning he will quit office in October 2027.
Many citizens who opposed this speedy amendment of the Police Act by the National Assembly claimed the move was to aid Tinubu, who is likely to seek a second term and use Egbetokun and the entire police to his advantage in the 2027 presidential poll before Egbetokun’s tenure will elapse.
The ICIR reports that Egbetokun was Tinubu’s chief security officer when he was Lagos State Governor in 1999.
He was promoted to deputy inspector-general of police shortly after Tinubu’ won the February 25, 2023, presidential election, with many Nigerians suspecting he could be the next IGP’ because of his closeness to Tinubu.
A reporter with the ICIR
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