The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed rumors about an alleged extension of the tenure for Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, clarifying that no such extension was granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Instead, the proper legal procedures governing the IGP’s term were followed.
In a statement released on Friday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Assistant Commissioner of Police Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police clarified the situation.
The statement read: “The Nigeria Police Force has noted various misleading reports and misinterpretations regarding the tenure of Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM. We wish to clearly state that what His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, approved for the IGP is not a tenure extension but the correct application of the law governing the office of the IGP.”
Contrary to rumors circulating in the media, the statement explained that a letter dated November 3, 2023, was issued to the IGP following his confirmation by the Police Council. The letter explicitly states that the President approved a four-year term for the IGP in line with Section 215(a) and Section 28(c) of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The statement emphasized that the IGP does not need to lobby for any tenure extension, as his appointment letter grants him a four-year term from the date of his appointment.
The circulating false reports were described as the work of mischief-makers seeking to undermine the IGP’s office for personal gain. The IGP has since received another official letter in accordance with the provisions of the Police Act, 2020 (as amended), which supersedes the previous one.
The statement concluded by urging the public to disregard the false information and assured that the IGP’s tenure fully complies with the legal framework of the Nigeria Police Force. It also stressed that the IGP’s term is not subject to debate and should not serve as a distraction to the police’s operations.
