A major confrontation is brewing within the Nigeria Police Force as six senior officers accused of falsifying their ages and manipulating service records are now demanding that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun retire alongside them.
The officers: Idowu Owohunwa, Simon Lough, SAN, Benneth Igweh, Aina Emmanuel, Salama Wakili Abdul, and Adepoju Olugbenga, are refusing to step down despite surpassing the mandatory retirement criteria of 60 years of age or 35 years in service.
Egbetokun had earlier directed that the officers appear before a disciplinary committee at the Force Headquarters in Abuja between Monday, February 10, and Thursday, February 13.
Sources revealed that the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) intends to demote or dismiss them.
“The goal of the IGP Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) is to reduce the ranks and/or dismiss them outright,” a source disclosed.
However, the officers are resisting retirement, insisting that Egbetokun must also step down since he has exceeded the mandatory retirement age but remains in office due to an extension granted by the President and the National Assembly.
They argue that any decision taken by Egbetokun since his official retirement date—September 4, 2024—is invalid.
“The senior police officers invited to appear before a disciplinary committee are threatening the police IG Egbetokun, saying that he must retire along with them since he has also passed his retirement and only saved by the President and the National Assembly,” a source said.
“They also said that every action taken by Egbetokun since last September 4, his official retirement date, is illegal, including, but not limited to, the issuance of retirement letters to them, which they have refused to honour.”
Additionally, they claim that the directive requiring them to appear in their official uniforms for the disciplinary hearing contradicts their purported retirement, implying that the police hierarchy still recognizes them as active officers.
“They are also saying that if he ordered them to arrive in uniform for disciplinary action after they have been purportedly retired, then he is accepting that they are still in service,” another source added.
Reports indicate that nearly 500 officers have been implicated in allegations of forgery, age falsification, and bypassing service regulations.
While some have quietly retired, others have taken their grievances to the National Industrial Court.
“There are also others who went to the National Industrial Court on Friday, with the IG’s lawyer promising not to retire them,” a source confirmed.
On Saturday, Egbetokun had directed the senior officers refusing to retire to appear before a disciplinary panel.
A police signal dated February 7, 2025, and obtained by the outlet, stated:
“INGENPOL directs you warn and release AP. No. 50645 Idowu Owohunwa, AP/NO. 50703, AIG Benneth Igweh, AP/NO. 41704, CP Aina Emmanuel, AP/NO. 41741, CP Salama Wakili Abdul, AP/NO. 46522, Adepoju Olugbenga Adewole, AP/NO. 57917 DCP Simon Lough, SAN, serving yours to appear before the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) sitting from 10/02/2025 to 13/05/2025.”
“Time 1000HRS; venue IGP’S Conference Hall, 7th floor, Force Headquarters, Abuja. They are to report in their clean working dress; note daily dress code to be strictly adhered to. Treat as very important please.”
Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise within the Force, as over 200 senior officers were refusing to retire despite evidence of falsified birth records.
Some have served up to 44 years, far exceeding the legal service limits.
Sources further revealed that Deputy Inspector General of the Federal Investigation Department, Dasuki Galandanchi, who is also due for retirement, is demanding a two-year extension, citing the precedent set by Egbetokun’s extension.
“Galandanchi is stating that if he must retire, Egbetokun must also retire,” a police insider noted.
On July 23, 2024, the Nigerian Senate passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill 2024, extending Egbetokun’s tenure beyond September.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier proposed the bill to modify the Police Act of 2020.
Despite this, IGP had reportedly ordered the immediate retirement of senior officers who had exceeded the age or service limit.
The directive, outlined in a February 1, 2025 letter signed by CP Bode Akinbamilowo, Deputy Force Secretary, was addressed to top-ranking officers nationwide.
The letter referenced a decision by the Police Service Commission (PSC) to enforce retirements. It stated:
“Accordingly, the Commission at its 1st extraordinary meeting of the 6th Management Board held on Friday 31st January 2025 has approved the immediate retirement of those officers who have spent 35 years in service and those above 60 years of age.
“Any omission discovered subsequently on this issue also falls within this approval.”
A full list of affected officers includes Simon Asamber Lough, who should have retired on January 8, 2022, and Benneth Chinedu Igweh, due for retirement on January 5, 2023.
The Police Service Commission had formally approved the immediate retirement of senior officers exceeding the age and service limits.
The decision was made during its first extraordinary meeting, chaired by DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), alongside other commissioners, including retired Supreme Court Justice Adamu Paul Galumje.
The PSC’s spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, confirmed the decision:
“PSC rose from its first extraordinary meeting with the approval for the immediate retirement of senior police officers who have spent more than 35 years in service and those above 60 years of age.”
Despite the PSC’s decision and IGP Egbetokun’s directive, the affected officers remain defiant, setting the stage for a major institutional crisis within the Nigeria Police Force.
