IGP Kayode Egbetokun
●●● As Attorney General Says IGP’s Tenure Expires ln 2027
By Victory Oghene
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has retired senior police officers who are 60-year-old or has spent 35 years in service.
This much was announced on Friday by the PSC.
Under the public service rules, officers who have attained either of those thresholds are statutorily required to leave the service automatically.
However, it was learnt that many officers who joined the police as other ranks but who later got trained as cadet officers had their years of service adjusted from the date of the training as officers instead of when they joined the force as constables.
Consequently, it was learnt, some of these categories of officers have been in service for over 40 years.
Many very senior police officers are said to be affected by the decision taken on Friday by the authorities.
A statement on Friday by the spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, said the commission approved the immediate retirement of the affected officers at an extraordinary meeting of the management board.
The statement, which said the decision had been communicated to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, reads in part: “The Police Service Commission rose from its first extraordinary meeting with the approval for the immediate retirement of senior police officers who have spent more than 35 years in service and those above 60 years of age.
“The commission, at its 24th plenary meeting of 27th and 28th September 2017, had approved that the force entrants should have their date of appointment in the force against the date of their enlistment.
“The commission has passionately revisited its decision and has come to the conclusion that the said decision in its intent and purpose contradicted the principle of merger of service in the public service and it is in violation of Public Service Rule No 020908 (i&ii) which provides for retirement on attainment of 35 years in service or 60 years of age.”
The development came on the heels of the controversy trailing the extension of IGP Egbetokun’s tenure.
In a related development, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has said that the continued stay in office of Egbetokun is legal and lawful.
Fagbemi, in a statement late Friday, said the appointment of Egbetokun, which took effect from 31 October, 2023, would have come to an end on his attainment of 60 years of age on 4 September, 2024.
“However, before his retirement age, the Police Act was amended to allow the occupant of the office to remain and complete the original four-year term granted under Section 7 (6) of the Act, notwithstanding the fact that he has attained the age of 60 years.
“This has, therefore, statutorily extended the tenure of office of Egbetokun to and including the 31st day of October, 2027 in order to complete the four-year tenure granted to him,” the AGF clarified in his statement.
Fagbemi said Egbetokun’s continued stay in office is in line with the provisions of the Police Act amended in 2024 which allows the occupant of the office to enjoy a term of four years effective from the date of his appointment as IGP, in this case, the 31st day of October 2023.
According to the AGF, the advisory is necessary for the guidance of the general public.
