A legal standoff following the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, is brewing as six senior police officers accused of age falsification and circumventing service regulations are demanding that the IGP steps down alongside them.
Remember that on February 5th, the IGP issued a directive for the immediate retirement of officers who had exceeded 35 years of service or turned 60 years old. A decision which was backed by the Police Service Commission (PSC) in a January 31, 2025 ruling.
The officers—Idowu Owohunwa, Simon Lough (SAN), Benneth Igweh, Aina Emmanuel, Salama Wakili Abdul, and Adepoju Olugbenga—have refused to retire, insisting that Egbetokun, who has also exceeded his official retirement age, must exit simultaneously.
Egbetokun had also ordered the six officers, all of whom are either over 60 years old or have served for more than 35 years, to appear before a disciplinary committee at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, between Monday, February 10, and Thursday, February 13, 2025.
Their appearance before the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) may either lead to their demotion or dismissal.
Reports from SaharaReporters reveal that the officers are challenging the legality of Egbetokun’s directives, claiming that all decisions made by him since his official retirement date of September 4, 2024, are null and void, including the issuance of retirement letters to them.
In a further twist, the officers have seized upon the directive to appear in their working dress, arguing that this is an official admission that they are still in active service.
The retirement controversy extends beyond these six officers, with nearly 500 police officers implicated in age forgery and service regulation violations.
While some officers have chosen to retire quietly, others have taken legal action, filing cases at the National Industrial Court.
Sources say the IGP’s legal team has assured some officers that they would not be forced into retirement.
Fairview shall continue to update as the situation unfolds.
