Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general election, on Tuesday alleged that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has been removed from office.
Sowore claimed that Egbetokun was replaced by a senior officer currently serving at the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) in Lagos. However, he did not provide any official confirmation to substantiate the claim.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the presidency nor the Nigeria Police Force had issued a statement confirming or denying the alleged development.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls placed to his phone. He later requested that a text message be sent to him, promising a response, but had yet to reply as of press time.
Sowore has consistently challenged Egbetokun’s continued stay in office, maintaining that the police chief should have stepped down upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as acting Inspector-General of Police in October 2023, pending confirmation by the National Assembly, with the appointment taking effect from October 31, 2023.
Amid debates over the IGP’s tenure, the Federal Government backed an amendment to the Police Act granting a single four-year term to an Inspector-General of Police, regardless of age or years of service. The amendment enables Egbetokun to remain in office until October 2027.
