, Kayode Egbetokun, has taken five retired senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to court){kind=link}
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has taken five retired senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to court over allegations of manipulating their official records to unlawfully prolong their years of service.
The matter is now before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu, who has scheduled September 25 for the formal arraignment of the accused persons.
Officers named in the charge
Those facing prosecution include Idowu Owohunwa, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police; Benneth Igwe and Ukachi Opara, both retired Commissioners of Police; Obo Ukam Obo, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police; and Simon Lough, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police.
The charge sheet also mentions “others at large” who may have been involved in similar infractions.
Court filings indicate that Owohunwa allegedly altered his declaration of age in December 2024, changing his date of birth from July 20, 1967, to July 20, 1970.
In Igwe’s case, investigators claimed he adjusted his records to reflect October 7, 1968, even though evidence pointed to 1964 as his actual birth year.
Similarly, Lough is accused of revising his official age in July 2022. His records had initially shown May 14, 1967, but were later updated to May 14, 1969, allegedly to extend his service tenure.
Police documents also highlight inconsistencies in Igwe’s enlistment details, which curiously carried both 1988 and 1996 as entry years.
Legal framework
The police authorities argue that the alleged actions violate public service rules and contravene sections 97, 161, 366, and 158 of the Penal Code.
If found guilty, the former officers could face serious penalties ranging from dismissal of accrued benefits to potential jail terms.
A senior officer at Force Headquarters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said:
“This is a matter of integrity. When senior officers manipulate their records, it undermines the values of transparency and discipline in the Nigeria Police Force.”
Defendants deny wrongdoing
The retired officers, however, have strongly denied the allegations. They insist the case is politically motivated and based on a misinterpretation of their service history.
In a written response to a police query earlier in January, Owohunwa attributed the discrepancy in his file to a clerical mistake on his Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) form, which mistakenly listed 1970 instead of 1967 as his year of birth.
He maintained that his official appointment into the force was on August 15, 1996.
Igwe and Lough also defended themselves, stating that the Integrity Youth Alliance, a civil society group led by activist Kelvin Adegbenga, had misrepresented their records.
According to them, their service history was confused with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) scheme, which allows for rank upgrades and adjustments in career progression.
Petition that sparked the case
The controversy began after the Integrity Youth Alliance petitioned the IGP, accusing the officers of deliberately altering their records for personal gain.
Acting on the petition, Egbetokun issued queries on January 7, 2025, citing “serious misconduct.” The officers’ responses were deemed unsatisfactory, leading to the present charges.
Kelvin Adegbenga, the group’s coordinator, defended the petition in an interview, saying:
“Our concern is simple, public institutions must be safeguarded from manipulation.
These officers held sensitive positions, and any falsification of records is a betrayal of public trust.”