“His term of office is four years,” Police dismiss claims of extension of National Police Chief’s term of office

The police on Friday broke its silence on the controversy surrounding the tenure of Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Egbetokun’s retention in the post has attracted interest in the country after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 on Wednesday.

The Police Act requires officers to retire upon reaching the age of 60 or achieving 35 years of service.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, denied claims that President Bola Tinubu had approved the extension of the IGP’s tenure.

He said that what the President approved was the correct application of the law regarding the term of office of the Chief of Police.

The spokesman stressed that the IGP’s letter of appointment stated that he would have a term of four years from the date of his appointment.

The statement read: “The attention of the Nigerian Police Force has been drawn to various misleading and misinterpreted reports regarding the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police, and wishes to state categorically that what President Bola Tinubu approved for the Chief of Police was not an extension of the tenure of the Chief of Police, but rather the proper application of the law governing the tenure of the Chief of Police.

“Contrary to misinformation circulating on social media and in the news, the letter of appointment being circulated was issued to the Chief of Police shortly after his appointment was confirmed by the Police Board. The letter, dated 3rd November 2023, clearly states that the President has approved a four-year term for the Chief of Police in accordance with the provisions of Section 215(a) and Section 28(c) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“It is important to emphasize that the Chief of Police does not need to lobby for an extension of his term of office because his appointment letter explicitly gives him a four-year term from the date of his appointment. The continued circulation of false information is the work of pessimists and troublemakers who are determined to spread baseless narratives about the position and personality of the Chief of Police for obvious reasons and financial gain.

“In addition, the Regional Police Chief has also issued another letter in accordance with the provisions of the 2020 Police Law (as amended), which replaces the previous letter. This clarification is needed to end the speculation and fake news circulating.

“We urge the public to disregard such baseless reports and trust that the tenure of the Chief of Police is in full compliance with the laws governing the Nigerian Police Force. Clearly, the tenure of the Chief of Police should not be a subject of unnecessary debate and should not be a source of constant disruption to the Nigerian police system. The law is sacrosanct.”

The post ‘He has a four-year term,’ Police dismiss claims of IGP tenure extension appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.