A lawyer has accused Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun of engaging in selective justice following criminal charges filed against several retired senior police officers over alleged age falsification and document forgery.
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, questioning the propriety of the criminal charges.
The IGP recently instituted a 14-count criminal charge against several high-ranking retired officers before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in suit number CR/353/25. The charges allege that the officers conspired to forge police signals and official records to alter their age and service information, extending their time in service beyond limits allowed under Public Service Rules.
Among those charged are former Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Idowu Owohunwa, former FCT Commissioner of Police Benneth Igweh, former CP Ukachi Peter Opara, retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Obo Ukam Obo, and retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Simon Asamber Lough, who is notably the first police officer to attain the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Contravention of Police Act
In his letter, Jaja argued that the IGP's action contravenes Section 32(2) of the Police Act (2020), suggesting that court martial proceedings or civil lawsuits would have been more appropriate than criminal charges against officers who had served the country for over 30 years.
"Is this a way to treat retired police officers who had previously served their country and the Nigerian Police for over thirty years? What example are you setting for the morale of other Police officers?" Jaja questioned in the letter.
He further stated: "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 expressed particular concern about the treatment of Benneth Igweh and Simon Lough, suggesting that the criminal charges confirm impressions that the IGP is using his authority "not to fight criminals but for personal vendetta against those who seem to have defied you."
Addressing the Root Cause
Jaja described the prosecution as a "cosmetic treatment of an underlying problem," arguing that it fails to address the fundamental issue regarding the age of retirement for police officers.
"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," he stated.
The lawyer urged the IGP to allow the National Assembly to undertake a second amendment of the Police Act, 2020 that would be consistent with Section 42(1) of the Nigerian Constitution and the principle of equality before the law.
He also called on Egbetokun to consider submitting a resignation letter to the President and the Police Service Commission, suggesting that the IGP should put "the peace, unity and security of the entire Nigerian nation above your personal ambition."
The development follows the retirement of seven senior officers by the Police Service Commission on March 6, 2025, after an Extraordinary Meeting held on February 20, 2025, citing age falsification and other violations of service regulations.
