The police on Friday broke its silence on the controversy surrounding the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Egbetokun’s continued stay in the position has generated interest in the country after he attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 years on Wednesday.
The Police Act required officers to retire after reaching the age of 60 or attaining 35 years in service.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu had approved the extension of the IGP’s tenure.
He said what the president approved was the proper application of the law governing the tenure of the office of the IGP.
The spokesman stressed that the IGP’s appointment letter stated that he has a four-year tenure from the date of his appointment.
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, and wishes to categorically state that what President Bola Tinubu 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.
“Contrary to the misinformation being circulated on social media and in the news, an appointment letter in circulation was issued to the IGP shortly after his appointment was confirmed by the Police Council. This letter, dated 3rd November 2023, clearly stated that the President had approved a four-year tenure for the IGP in accordance 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).
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“It is important to emphasize that 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 ongoing circulation of false information is the handiwork of pessimists and mischief makers who are determined to spread baseless narratives against the office and the personality of the IGP for obvious reasons and pecuniary gains.
“Furthermore, the IGP has since been issued with another letter in accordance with the provisions of the Police Act, 2020 (as amended), which supersedes the earlier correspondence. This clarification is necessary to put an end to the speculations and falsehoods being spread.
“We urge the public to disregard the unfounded reports and to trust that the tenure of the IGP is in full compliance with the laws governing the Nigeria Police Force. In clear terms, 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.”
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