Abuja, Nigeria – The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has come under fire for allegedly pursuing selective justice in the prosecution of retired senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
Legal practitioner and Executive Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, leveled the accusations in an open letter addressed to the IGP. He criticized the recent criminal charges filed against several high-ranking retired officers, describing the move as inappropriate and politically motivated.
The affected officers, including former Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Idowu Owohunwa, former FCT Commissioner of Police Benneth Igweh, former CP Ukachi Peter Opara, retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Obo Ukam Obo, and retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Simon Asamber Lough, among others, were arraigned before an FCT High Court under suit number CR/353/25.
They face a 14-count charge bordering on alleged age falsification, forgery, and manipulation of official documents to unlawfully extend their years of service, in violation of the Public Service Rules.
The move followed the March 6, 2025 retirement of seven senior officers by the Police Service Commission (PSC), which cited infractions including falsification of age and other service violations.
However, Dr. Jaja contends that the criminal charges contravene Section 32(2) of the Police Act, 2020, which discourages the use of criminal prosecution for civil wrongs. He argued that if disciplinary action was necessary, the matter should have been handled through court martial proceedings or a civil lawsuit, rather than public criminal trials.
“Is this a way to treat retired police officers who had previously served their country for over 30 years?” Jaja asked in the letter. “Court martial proceedings or civil litigation would have been more appropriate and less damaging to the image and morale of the Nigeria Police Force.”
He further alleged that the IGP is using his position to pursue a personal vendetta, stating, “You are using the powers and authority conferred upon you as the IGP not to fight criminals but for personal vendetta against those who seem to have defied you.”
The lawyer also expressed dismay at the inclusion of Simon Lough, a lawyer and the first police officer to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Benneth Igweh in the list of those charged.
Jaja described the prosecution as a “cosmetic treatment” of deeper systemic issues, particularly the controversy surrounding the retirement age of police officers. He argued that the legal challenge is likely to persist until the root cause—flawed provisions in the Police Act—is addressed.
“The amendment to Section 7(6) of the Police Act, 2020, which extended your tenure by four years, is fundamentally flawed,” he stated.
He called on the National Assembly to amend the Police Act in line with Section 42(1) of the Constitution, emphasizing the need for equal treatment under the law. He also urged the IGP to resign in the interest of national peace and institutional integrity.
“This is based on putting the peace, unity and security of the entire Nigerian nation above your personal ambition to remain in office,” he concluded.
As of the time of this report, the Nigeria Police Force has not issued a response to the letter or the allegations contained therein.
