The Police Service Commission (PSC) has directed the immediate retirement of all senior police officers who have exceeded 35 years in service or turned 60 years old, intensifying debates over the extended tenure of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun.
In a statement by PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani, the Commission reversed a 2017 decision that allowed police officers to use their enlistment date instead of their appointment date, citing a violation of Public Service Rule No. 020908.
This move comes amid legal disputes over Egbetokun’s continued stay in office after turning 60. Legal experts are divided, with some arguing that the Police Act allows an IGP to serve a fixed four-year tenure regardless of age, while others insist that civil service retirement rules apply.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kunle Adegoke noted that while tenure extensions are generally legal unless explicitly prohibited, security agencies operate under distinct rules. Meanwhile, lawyer Monday Ubani emphasized that the Police Act supersedes civil service regulations, supporting Egbetokun’s stay.
With legal interpretations clashing, calls for judicial clarification grow louder, setting the stage for a possible court battle to resolve the controversy.