Anebi
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has been accused by a lawyer of engaging in selective justice following the 14-count criminal charge he filed against several high-ranking retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
The lawyer, Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, Executive Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), made the accusation in an open letter addressed to the IGP, in which he faulted the criminal charges.
Recently, several retired top police officers were dragged before a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in suit number CR/353/25 over allegations bordering on 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 were 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 the Public Service Rules of Nigeria.
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 said the IGP’s action contravened Section 32(2) of the Police Act (2020).
The lawyer equally pointed out that, rather than filing criminal charges against the retired police officers, court martial proceedings would have been more appropriate.
“Is this a way to treat retired police officers who had previously served their country and the Nigerian Police for over thirty (30) years? What example are you setting for the morale of other Police officers?
“Could you not have filed court martial proceedings against them? Bearing in mind that court martial proceedings are usually held in camera (in private) away from the public eye.
“Alternatively, you could have filed a civil law suit against the said retired police officers.
“This would have being in accordance with the letter and spirit of a new provision, which was first inserted as Section 8(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), is again inserted as Section 32(2) of the Police Act (2020), to expressly prohibit police from arresting a person merely on a claim of civil wrong or breach of contract.
“When an offence constitutes both a criminal and civil infraction, it is the course of wisdom to exercise discretion by filing a civil lawsuit inside of a criminal prosecution. That is the spirit of the Police Act, 2020 which was a replacement of the 1946 Police legislation,” the lawyer said.
The letter especially expressed reservation at the treatment meted to two of the police officers, Berth Igweh and Simon Lough. Lough, also a lawyer, is the first police officer to attain the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Jaja further told Egbetokun that that the filing of the criminal charges has confirmed widely held impressions that: “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.”
Further arguing against the criminal charges, Jaja described the prosecution of the retired senior police officers as cosmetic as it does not address the real issue – the age of retirement for police officers.
“Your prosecution of the retired police officers is a cosmetic treatment of an underlying problem. Even after you prosecute retired Simon Lough, SAN, and the others, another group of police officers would arise by going to court to challenge the issue of the age of retirement for police officers.
“It is better to deal with the root cause of the problem once and for all time.
“There is a fundamental flaw with the amendment to Section 7(6) of the Police Act, 2020 which extended your tenure for four years,” the letter added.
To address the problem, Jaja urged the IGP to “Allow the National Assembly to undertake a second amendment of the Police Act, 2020 that is consistent with the provisions of Section 42 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution and the Rule of Law principle of equality before the law.”
He equally urged the IGP honourably submit a resignation letter to the President and the Police Service Commission.
“This is based on putting the peace, unity and security of the entire Nigerian nation above your personal ambition to remain a police officer whereas the Nigerian Police is distracted with the issue of your unconstitutional tenure,” the letter said.
Lawyer faults IGP’s criminal charges against retired senior police officers
