No Tenure Extension for IGP Egbetokun, Clarifies Nigeria Police Force
The Nigeria Police Force High Command has clarified that there has been no extension of tenure for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, contrary to recent rumors. Instead, it stated that the law governing the IGP’s office tenure has been properly applied, as confirmed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This clarification was issued in a statement on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Assistant Commissioner of Police, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in Abuja.
The statement read, “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to various misleading reports and misinterpretations concerning the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, and wishes to categorically state that what His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, approved for the IGP is not an extension of tenure, but rather the proper application of the law governing the tenure of the office of the IGP.”
It continued by addressing misinformation circulating on social media and news outlets, explaining that the appointment letter for IGP Egbetokun was issued following his confirmation by the Police Council. The letter, dated November 3, 2023, clarified that President Tinubu had approved a four-year tenure for the IGP in line with the provisions of Section 215(a) and Section 28(c) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“The IGP does not need to lobby for any tenure extension as his appointment letter explicitly grants him a four-year tenure from the date of his appointment,” the statement added.
The statement also condemned the ongoing spread of false information, attributing it to “pessimists and mischief-makers determined to spread baseless narratives against the office and personality of the IGP for obvious reasons and pecuniary gains.”
It further noted that another letter was issued to the IGP in accordance with the provisions of the Police Act, 2020 (as amended), which supersedes the earlier correspondence, ensuring full compliance with the laws governing the Nigeria Police Force.
The Nigeria Police Force urged the public to disregard unfounded reports and emphasized that the IGP’s tenure is in accordance with legal provisions. “The IGP’s tenure of office is not subject to unnecessary debate and should not be a source of perennial distraction to the policing system in Nigeria. The law is sacrosanct,” the statement concluded.
