A mutiny is brewing within the Nigeria Police Force, as over 200 senior officers are refusing to retire despite being found to have falsified their birth records.
SaharaReporters learnt that some of these officers have been serving for up to 44 years and that the development has led to tensions between the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Deputy Inspector General of the Federal Investigation Department, Dasuki Galandanchi.
Galandanchi, whose tenure has also been extended, is seeking a two-year extension, citing the precedent set by the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who was granted an extension despite being due for retirement last year.
Galandanchi is set to retire next month, but SaharaReporters learnt that the police IG Egbetokun is not keen on having Galandanchi around due to concerns about his personal conduct and behaviour. He has been described as having a reckless lifestyle and a larger-than-life demeanour.
“Galandanchi is stating that if he must retire, Egbetokun must also retire,” one of the sources privy to happenings in the Force said.
“He is at war with Egbetokun over the issue and has requested for two-year extension.”
On July 23, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that the Nigerian Senate had passed a controversial amendment bill to extend Egbetokun’s tenure beyond September.
The Nigerian Senate passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 to amend the Police Act of 2020.
President Bola Tinubu had sent the Police Act Amendment Bill to the House of Representatives, proposing changes to the tenure of the IGP.
SaharaReporters had reported how the bill earlier failed to gain support from stakeholders at a hearing held by the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.
However, stakeholders had expressed concerns over the bill.
It was met with widespread criticism from key stakeholders, including the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Ministry of Police Affairs, and the National Salaries and Wages Commission during the public hearing.
SaharaReporters also learnt that senior police officers were angered by the move, which was described as selfish.
The Ministry of Police Affairs in its submission warned that implementing the extension would have unintended and far-reaching consequences, detrimental to the overall health and operations of the police force. Moreover, it would set a dangerous precedent for other agencies, such as the military and paramilitary organisations.
The ministry also argued that increasing the service years of police personnel would lead to stagnation, hindering progress and innovation within the force, while also negatively impacting motivation and adaptability.
Reacting in a statement issued after the report, Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the bill was first introduced in the 8th Assembly and was aimed at enhancing the conditions of service for police officers, not for personal gain.
Adejobi said the bill did not progress beyond the initial stages before the dissolution of the 8th Assembly.
SaharaReporters has learned that the affected senior police officers contacted their political patrons, urging them to pressure Tinubu to either retire Egbetokun along with them or allow them to retire whenever they want.
It was learnt that this pressure forced the IGP Egbetokun to rescind his earlier decision this week, which had mandated all of them to proceed with retirement.
Additionally, the retired police officers invoked regional sentiments, asserting that many of them are southerners and their departure would result in fewer southerners occupying key positions in the police force. Egbetokun had also leveraged this sentiment to persuade Tinubu to retain him beyond his official retirement.
The police service commission approved the retirement of the scandal-ridden senior officers, a move that Egbetokun has described as a set-up, creating significant turmoil.
SaharaReporters learnt that the decision to retire these officers had been piling up since 2017, when several of them altered their ages, with some, like Simon Lough, Head of the NPF Legal Section, even obtaining fraudulent court orders and judgments to extend their tenure in the police force.
SaharaReporters reported on Wednesday that Egbetokun had stopped the retirement of all senior police officers accused of forgery, falsification, and violating service regulations.
These officers have served for over 35 years or are older than 60.
Egbetokun had earlier in a letter dated February 1, 2025 and signed on his behalf by CP Bode Akinbamilowo, Deputy Force Secretary asked the affected officers to go on immediate retirement.
These include Simon Lough, SAN, the Head of the NPF Legal Section and Benneth Igweh, a former Federal Capital Territory Police Commissioner.
The letter is titled ‘Re: Police Service Commission Decision At Its 1st Extra Ordinary Meeting Of The 6th Management Board On The Regularisation Of Date Of First Appointment Of Cadet ASPs/Inspectors Force Entrants.’
It had read, “Attached letter No. CH: 8400.IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.17/90 dates 31st January, 2025 with its attachments received from the Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters Abuja in respect of the above underlined subject refers.
“I am to convey the directive of the Inspector General of Police that you ensure comprehensive implementation of the decision with emphasis on paragraphs 3 and 4 of the attachment letter under reference.”
The decision of the PSC referred to in the letter was earlier communicated to the IGP in a letter dated January 31, 2025 and signed by Nnamani Onyemuche, Secretary to the PSC.
Paragraphs 3 and 4 to be given emphasis read: “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.”
Paragraph 5 read: Please implement, inform the affected officers and make replacement for the vacancies thereafter immediately and forward to the commission for its consideration and approval.”
However, a police signal dated February 5, 2025, and exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters revealed another directive from Egbetokun, putting all actions specified in his February 1, 2025 letter on hold.
The signal reads, “POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION DECISION AT ITS 1ST EXTRA ORDINARY MEETING OF THE 6TH MANAGEMENT BOARD ON THE REGULARIZATION OF DATE OF FIRST APPOINTMENT OF CADET ASPS/INSPECTORS FORCE ENTRANTS X REF. MYLET CH:8400/FS/FHQ/AB3/VOL.2/292 DATED 1ST FEBRUARY 2025 x INGENPOL STRONGLY DIRECTS X YOU STAY ACTION ON LET UNDER REF X PENDING FURTHER DIRECTIVE X ABOVE FOR YOUR STRICT COMPLIANCE X ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT X PLEASE X.”
A source told SaharaReporters that the new directive by the police chief followed an order from the Tinubu presidency.
The affected officers include Benneth Chinedu Igweh, who ought to have retired on January 5, 2023, Akinbayo Olasukami Olasoji, Louis Chike Nwabuwa, Mukar Sule, Adamu Danjuma, Ajao Olusegun, and Iriemi Solomon.
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