Tension Builds Over IGP’s Retirement as Uncertainty Lingers

With Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun’s retirement looming, the race to succeed him is heating up. Appointed on June 19 last year, Egbetokun is set to retire on September 4 when he turns 60. However, a recent amendment to the Police Act has thrown his retirement date into doubt.

According to PUNCH Online, Egbetokun was originally slated to retire in 2024. But the National Assembly’s passage of an Executive Bill in July 2024 allows the President to extend the IGP’s tenure beyond 35 years of service or 60 years of age, ensuring a full four-year term. The Police Council confirmed him as the substantive IGP on October 31.

Now, with the President yet to sign the bill into law, tensions are mounting within the police high command. Officers from the ranks of Commissioners of Police (CPs), Assistant Inspectors-General (AIGs), and Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs) are fiercely lobbying for the top position.

Sources within the force suggest that Egbetokun’s retirement will proceed as scheduled unless the amendment is signed into law. If it is, the President could extend his tenure. However, ongoing debates center on whether the amendment should apply retroactively to Egbetokun.

There are currently eight DIGs, 46 AIGs, and 125 CPs, with four DIGs set to retire between September and December. Unconfirmed reports list their retirement dates as follows: Bala Ciroma (March 3, 2025); Emeka Frank Mba (May 18, 2027); Sylvester Abiodun Alabi (December 31, 2024); Daniel Sokari-Pedro (December 18, 2024); Ede Ayuba Ekpeji (October 21, 2024); Bello Makwashi Maradun (December 25, 2024); Dasuki Danbappa Galadanchi (March 3, 2025); and Sahabo Abubakar Yahaya (September 15, 2025).

Egbetokun’s fate now hangs on the President’s decision regarding the amendment. The proposed Section 18(8A) of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 stipulates: “Any person appointed as IGP shall remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in their appointment letter, as per Section 7(6) of the Act.”

Meanwhile, senior officers continue to position themselves for succession, fearing that an extension for Egbetokun could disrupt the career pipeline. Some argue that such extensions, especially near retirement, “distort the system” and fuel an unhealthy level of lobbying for positions—based not on merit, but on timing and influence.