IGP Egbetokun to serve full four-year tenure

President Bola Tinubu has affirmed that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun will remain in office until 2027.

Amid reports suggesting a tenure extension, a senior police source, who requested anonymity, clarified that there was no extension. Instead, the letter confirms that Egbetokun should serve the full four-year term as outlined in his original appointment.

“The tenure of the IGP was not extended but rather a clarification on his letter of appointment that stipulated four years in office,” the source explained.

In July, the National Assembly passed the Police Act Amendment Bill, allowing an individual appointed as IGP to serve for the full term specified in their appointment letter.

President Tinubu had earlier forwarded the Bill to both the House of Representatives and the Senate to amend the IGP’s tenure. The bill was swiftly passed by lawmakers in both chambers.

Egbetokun was appointed as IGP in June 2023 for a four-year term, alongside four new service chiefs. According to Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, Egbetokun, born on September 4, 1964, would have been expected to retire in September 2024, upon turning 60.

Currently, Egbetokun has served one year and three months of his four-year term, with two years and nine months remaining.

Controversy over the tenure of an IGP is not new. Egbetokun’s predecessor, Usman Baba, faced a similar situation. Baba reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 and completed 35 years of service in March 2023 but remained in office until Egbetokun was appointed three months later.