•Sowore and Egbetokun
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has said that the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun as the Inspector General of Police(IGP) is an acknowledgment that his tenure was never legal.
He alleged that Egbetokun, during his tenure, tried to arm-twist the police.
“This removal or resignation, as they like to address it, is an acknowledgment of the fact that his tenure was never legit,” Sowore said during an interview on Channels Television today.
Sowore said the ex-IGP used force on policemen who asked for better welfare.
“He did use force, I was arrested after we did the police protest, detained and attacked inside the cell at the Force intelligence Department (FID) by men of the police force led by the Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).
“Several policemen who forwarded messages and WhatsApp groups asking for better welfare for policemen and promoting our protests were also arrested so many of them were kicked out of the police force, some of them were detained for several months so he did use force.
“Even while he was in office at the headquarters, you must have seen a video. I visited the headquarters briefly, and I know what I heard from policemen,” Sowore added.
‘He Just Fumbled’
The former presidential candidate further said that Egbetokun “fumbled” throughout his tenure, alleging he did nothing to curb criminal activities.
“He was the person who declared that he was the tiger himself; he was a sheep throughout his tenure. He did nothing to curb criminal activities, nothing to actually bring professionalism, contrary to what you’re saying.
“He just fumbled through his tenure. That is why it’s important that we recognise that it’s important to take a stand when issues or principles are involved.
“The principle here is that when someone is retired and the law didn’t give you the permission to extend your tenure for four years, don’t try to do it.
“He was the IGP who promoted people who didn’t deserve promotion and didn’t promote those who deserve promotion.
“Those protests led to the promotion of 74,000 policemen, the removal of 500 policemen, senior police officers who I think falsified their age,” he added.
New Leadership At NPF
Egbetokun resigned from his position as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) yesterday, following the submission of his letter citing pressing family considerations.
Following the resignation, President Bola Tinunu approved the appointment of Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu to serve as Acting IGP with immediate effect.
The president said he was confident that AIG Disu’s experience, operational depth, and demonstrated leadership capacity would provide steady and focused direction for the Nigeria Police Force during this critical period.
Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as the 22nd Inspector-General of Police on June 19, 2023.
But his tenure extended beyond the mandatory retirement limits of 60 years of age or 35 years of service, prompting sustained criticism from civil society groups, among others, who argued that the extension breached established police service regulations and weakened institutional discipline.
The National Assembly passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill in July 2024 to allow a person appointed as Inspector-General of Police to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment.
The bill, which was forwarded to the House of Representatives and the Senate by the President to amend the tenure of the IGP, was passed by both chambers at separate sittings.
Until his appointment, Disu served as AIG in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, and was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police last year.
