Abuja-based lawyer and human rights activist, Maxwell Opara, has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order to prevent Kayode Egbetokun from continuing to serve as Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Opara is asking the court to declare that Egbetokun’s tenure should end, as he reached the age of 60 on September 4, 2024.
In his suit, Opara argues that Egbetokun’s appointment is invalid under the law, stating that an officeholder cannot retroactively remain in position after their term has ended, even if the law is later amended. He contends that any extension of Egbetokun’s tenure is contrary to the legal provisions governing the office.
However, in response to the lawsuit and circulating rumors about an alleged tenure extension, the Nigeria Police Force released a statement through its spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, clarifying the situation. Adejobi emphasized that President Bola Tinubu did not extend Egbetokun’s tenure but approved the proper application of the law that governs the office.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to various misleading reports concerning the tenure of the IGP. What President Bola Tinubu approved was not a tenure extension but a lawful application of the rules governing the office,” Adejobi stated.
He further clarified that Egbetokun’s appointment letter, dated November 3, 2023, grants him a four-year tenure in line with the provisions of Section 215(a) and Section 28(c) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended). The police refuted claims that Egbetokun is lobbying for an extension, labeling such rumors as baseless and aimed at spreading misinformation.
Adejobi urged the public to disregard the false narratives, describing them as attempts by “pessimists and mischief makers” to discredit the IGP for personal and financial gain.
