Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, is facing accusations of selective justice after a lawyer criticized the 14-count criminal charge filed against several high-ranking retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, Executive Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), made the accusation in an open letter to the IGP, faulting the criminal charges.
Recently, several retired top police officers were brought before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in suit number CR/353/25 over allegations including age falsification, forgery, and fraudulent manipulation of official documents.
The affected retired officers include former Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Idowu Owohunwa, former commissioner of Police (CP) for FCT, Benneth Igweh, a former CP, Ukachi Peter Opara, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Obo Ukam Obo, and a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Simon Asamber Lough, among others.
They are accused of conspiring to forge police signals and official records to alter their age and service information, effectively extending their time in service beyond the limits allowed under Nigeria’s Public Service Rules.
This development followed the retirement of seven senior officers by the Police Service Commission (PSC) on March 6, 2025, after an Extraordinary Meeting held on February 20, 2025.
The PSC cited age falsification and other violations of service regulations as grounds for the forced retirements.
However, in the open letter, Jaja argued that the IGP’s action contravenes Section 32(2) of the Police Act (2020).
The lawyer also pointed out that court martial proceedings would have been more appropriate than filing criminal charges against the retired police officers.
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