There are grumblings amongst senior officers in the Nigeria Police Force over reported alteration in the day the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun is due for retirement.
An online news service has reported that on October 31, 2027, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), changed his official retirement date.
According to the supporting document in circulation. Egbetokun, who was assigned AP Number AP36613, extended his duration in the police on January 13 by updating his service profile on the ‘Staff List of Senior Police Officers’.
A senior police source was quoted as saying that Egbetokun, who joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1990, would have typically been eligible for retirement after fulfilling the civil service regulations’ 35-year service requirement. The source added that the IGP compromised the integrity of the system, by exerting undue pressure on the National Assembly to allow him extend his term.
The insider said, “An officer retires in accordance with civil service regulations when they turn 60 or have served for 35 years, whichever comes first. Egbetokun was sixty years old by September 4, 2024, and ought to have retired from the Service. Rather, he advocated for a six-month extension, which would have expired in March of this year. He did, however, use his position to change his service records prior to the extension expiring, extending his employment until 2027. “He was supposed to retire upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60, which he attained in September last year,” said a source.
The Nigerian Senate approved a contentious amendment measure to prolong Egbetokun’s term past September on July 23, 2024. To alter the Police Act of 2020, the Nigerian Senate enacted the Police Act (Amendment) Bill 2024. The Police Act Amendment Bill, which would alter the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) term, was forwarded to the House of Representatives as an Executive bill. Earlier, on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs held a hearing, but stakeholders did not support the bill. The Nigeria Police Act 2020 would be amended by the bill, which will raise the retirement age of police officers from 60 to 65 and their service term from 35 to 40 years.
According to insiders, Egbetokun was the driving force behind the bill and had spent a substantial sum of money lobbying for its approval. Stakeholders had voiced concerns about the law. During the public hearing, the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Ministry of Police Affairs, and the National Salaries and Wages Commission were among the major stakeholders who voiced their strong opposition to the proposed extension of the service year and retirement age for police personnel
Additionally, the action infuriated senior police officials, who characterised it as self-serving. In its proposal, the Ministry of Police Affairs cautioned that enforcing the extension would have unforeseen and significant repercussions that would be harmful to the general well-being and efficiency of the police force. Furthermore, it would create a risky precedent for other institutions, including the military and paramilitary groups.
Additionally, the ministry contended that extending police officers’ service years would result in a halt to advancement and creativity within the force, as well as a detrimental effect on their motivation and flexibility. Force spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi responded to the story by saying that the measure was initially presented in the 8th Assembly and was intended to improve police officers’ working conditions rather than for personal benefit.
The President alone has the power to fire an Inspector General of Police before their term is up, he continued, adding that the position is already set at four years. According to Adejobi, the bill was first presented before the 8th Assembly but was never further developed before the Assembly was dissolved.
“It is standard legislative practice to review and update laws to align with current national realities,” he said.