Crisis brews as IGP sets up disciplinary committee, senior police officers head to court

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has established a disciplinary committee to address cases of senior police officers who have refused to retire despite reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or completing 35 years of service.

According to reports, the committee is set to convene at the Force Headquarters in Abuja from Tuesday to Thursday. Among those summoned are an Assistant Inspector General (AIG), at least two Commissioners of Police (CPs), and a senior police lawyer.

The IGP has directed the affected officers to appear in “clean working dress” and strictly adhere to the daily dress code throughout the proceedings.

Earlier this month, the Police Service Commission (PSC) ordered the immediate retirement of all officers exceeding 35 years of service or 60 years of age.

Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations at the PSC, explained that the commission reviewed a 2017 plenary meeting decision and found it to be in violation of Public Service Rule No. 020908 (i & ii), which mandates retirement once an officer reaches the prescribed limits.

Following the PSC’s 1st Extraordinary Meeting of the 6th Management Board on January 31, 2025, the directive was officially conveyed to the IGP for implementation.

However, the enforcement of retirements has sparked controversy, particularly since IGP Egbetokun’s tenure was extended by President Bola Tinubu despite him meeting the same retirement criteria. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), defended the President’s decision, stating that it was legally justified.

Legal Battle Over Retirement

Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has adjourned a case challenging the PSC’s retirement directive until March 18, 2025.

The lawsuit, filed by Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Egong Egwu Egong, Edwin Okoro, and three others, disputes the PSC’s method of calculating service years.

Their lawyer, Adeleke Agbola (SAN), argued that the PSC incorrectly determined officers’ service years from their initial date of entry into the police force rather than from when they joined the Police Academy.

He emphasized that a previous court ruling had already established that service tenure begins from the academy enrollment date, and there was no appeal against that judgment. Agbola urged the court to maintain the status quo until further proceedings determine if the ruling had been violated.

Next Steps

• The disciplinary committee will review cases of officers who have defied the retirement order.
• The NICN hearing on March 18, 2025, will determine the validity of the officers’ claims regarding service tenure calculations.
• The PSC’s directive remains in force, pending further legal clarifications.