Lateef Fagbemi, Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, AGF, has affirmed the four year tenure of Kayode Egbetokun as the Inspector General of Police, IGP.
Contrary to suggestions that Egbetokun should have retired from the Force after clocking 60 years, the AGF said the law is on the IGP’s side, citing the recently amended Police Act.
Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, said in a statement on Friday that Egbetokun will enjoy a four year term based on the amended Police Act.
Even though the IGP clocked 60 years last September, he’s now expected to remain in office until October 2027.
Fagbemi said, “For the avoidance of doubt, Egbetokun’s continuous stay in office is in line with the provisions of the Police Act amended in 2024, which allow the occupant of the office to enjoy a term of four years effective from the date of his appointment as IGP, in this case, the 31st day of October 2023.
“This advisory is necessary for the guidance of the general public.”
Last year, the National Assembly came under severe criticism after amending the relevant Act to extend the tenure of Egbetokun who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023.
Checks revealed that Egbetokun should have retired in September last year after he clocked the mandatory 60 years in service as a police officer.
The amendment of the Act which drew the anger of not a few Nigerians and police officers was believed to have been politically motivated.
Apart from the suggestions that the Egbetokun’s tenure was extended to further the interest of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the IGP is very close to President Tinubu having served as his Chief Security Officer, CSO, while the former was governor of Lagos state between 1999 and 2007.
Critics of the Tinubu administration insist that the extension will not only cause serious disquiet in the Nigerian Police Force, they added that such action will affect professionalism among the rank and file of the Force, particularly among its top echelon, from Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, and Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG who are aspiring to become IGP.
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“The morale of the current AIGs and DIGs will be very low because they have realized that their aspirations to get to the top of their career as IGP has been stunted by the unnecessary extension of Egebtokun’s tenure,” a security expert who spoke under anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue told the magazine on Friday.
“When the government is making such sensitive decision they must not forget that the dream of an officer is to get to the top of his career. Politicizing appointments in the police force, where professionalism is highly required is a serious disservice to the country,” a top police officer said.
The former Police Act, Section 18(8) provides thus: “Every police officer shall, on recruitment or appointment, serve in the Nigeria Police Force for a period of 35 years or until he attains the age of 60 years, whichever is earlier”.
The amended Act provides that “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (8) of this section, any person appointed to the office of Inspector-General of Police shall remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment in line with the provisions of Section 7(6) of this Act.”
The amended Act in Part 111 Section 7 (6) further provides for a for year tenure for any IGP appointed by the president.
Essentially, Egbetokun, based on the amended Act is expected to remain in office until 2027 having been appointed in 2023 by President Tinubu.
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