President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigeria Police Council have been taken to the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of unlawfully extending the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun. The suit, filed by public interest litigation lawyer and human rights activist Maxwell Opara, contests the legality of the tenure extension granted under the amended Police Act.
Opara’s suit seeks an injunction to restrain Egbetokun from continuing to present himself as the Inspector General of Police, arguing that his term should have ended upon reaching the age of 60 or after 35 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first. The lawyer contends that Section 9 of Chapter 2 of the Public Service Rules 2023 mandates Egbetokun’s compulsory retirement and that the extension violates these regulations.
The case names Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Police Council, the President of Nigeria, and the Federal Civil Service Commission as the defendants. Opara is calling on the court to determine whether officials listed under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution are subject to the same Public Service Rules as other federal workers, particularly with regard to age and years of service.
The suit also challenges whether the amendment of the Police Act can retroactively extend Egbetokun’s term beyond his retirement age, emphasizing that an appointment terminated by law cannot be reinstated by later legislation. Opara seeks a declaration from the court that only non-retired police officers are eligible for appointment to the office of Inspector General of Police, arguing that Egbetokun’s continued tenure is unlawful.
The suit, supported by an 18-paragraph affidavit, was filed on behalf of the plaintiff by Pastor Nnenna Maxwell Opara, with a hearing date yet to be fixed.
