The ongoing leadership crisis within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has intensified as several senior officers who have reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 or completed 35 years in service continue to resist an official directive to step down.
Despite clear instructions from the Police Service Commission (PSC), the affected officers remain in service, citing a pending legal challenge at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
Legal Battle Stalls Retirement Compliance
Investigations over the weekend revealed that these senior officers are leveraging a lawsuit filed against the PSC’s directive, arguing that their forced retirement contradicts established legal precedents. Speaking anonymously, some officers insisted that they would not have sought legal redress if not for the extension of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun’s tenure.
“Retirement from the police is not new, and we understand that every officer must leave at some point. However, fairness should apply across the board. While some argue that the IGP’s position is political, we are all public servants,” one affected officer stated.
The officers clarified that their legal challenge is not against IGP Egbetokun’s tenure extension but rather against what they perceive as an unfair retirement directive issued by the PSC.
PSC Denies Knowledge of Defiant Officers
Meanwhile, the PSC, in response to inquiries from Daily Trust on Sunday, claimed it was unaware of any officers refusing to comply with its retirement directive. The commission had earlier instructed all officers who exceeded the 35-year service limit or had turned 60 to retire immediately, citing compliance with Public Service Rule No. 020908 (i & ii).
Despite this directive, on February 5, 2025, the police headquarters issued a counter-order via a wireless message from the Force Secretary’s office, instructing the affected officers to remain in service until further notice.
IGP Establishes Disciplinary Committee to Address the Standoff
As tensions escalate, IGP Egbetokun has set up a disciplinary committee to identify and address officers who have overstayed their service years. The committee, headquartered at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, has begun compiling names of affected officers for submission to the PSC.
According to sources, the committee commenced operations on Monday and has already summoned several senior officials, including:
- An Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG)
- Two Commissioners of Police (CPs)
- A senior police legal officer
“The committee has formally invited the affected officers,
