BREAKING: Kayode Egbetokun Resigns As IGP

Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has stepped down, the Presidency confirmed to Shybellmedia on Tuesday. 

It was reported that he resigned at the request of President Bola Tinubu after a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, February 23. However, the Presidency clarified that he was not forced out. “It’s true. He has resigned. 

He was not SACKED by the President,” explained Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. 

Preparations are said to be underway as Egbetokun gets ready to formally hand over to Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, who oversees the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Lagos. Although Egbetokun was appointed as the 22nd IGP on June 19, 2023, and his appointment was later confirmed by the Nigeria Police Council, his tenure became somewhat controversial due to statutory retirement rules. According to Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, an officer is to retire at 60 or after 35 years of service. Egbetokun turned 60 on September 4, 2024. 

Yet, in July 2024, the National Assembly amended the Police Act to allow the IGP to serve a full four-year term regardless of age or service length. 

The Presidency and the police maintained that his continued stay in office was lawful under the amended law, and he was expected to serve until October 31, 2027.