By SAM POPOOLA, Lagos
Uncertainty has continued to trail the position of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) following allegations that Kayode Egbetokun has been removed from office, with the Nigeria Police Force yet to issue any official clarification.
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general election, Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday alleged that Egbetokun had been relieved of his duties.
Sowore further claimed that the police chief had been replaced by a senior officer currently serving at the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) in Lagos. However, he did not provide any official document or confirmation to substantiate the claim.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the Nigeria Police Force had released any statement confirming or denying the alleged development.
Efforts to obtain clarification from the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, were unsuccessful. Calls placed to his phone were not answered. He later requested that a text message be sent to him, assuring that he would respond, but as at press time, no reply had been received.
Sowore has repeatedly questioned Egbetokun’s continued stay in office, insisting that the IGP ought to have retired upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as acting Inspector-General of Police in October 2023, pending confirmation by the National Assembly. The appointment took effect on October 31, 2023.
Amid the controversy over the IGP’s tenure, the Federal Government sponsored an amendment to the Police Act to provide for a single four-year term for an Inspector-General of Police, irrespective of age or years of service.
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