The Police Service Commission (PSC) has ordered four Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) to immediately retire from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for refusing to step aside after the appointment of their colleague, Olukayode Egbetokun, as the acting Inspector-General of Police (IG).
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that this was disclosed by the spokesperson for the commission, Ikechukwu Ani on Monday.
The PSC said the DIGs, Dan-Mallam Mohammed, Moses Jitiboh, Hafiz Inuwa and Adeleke Bode, were expected to voluntarily retire in line with the tradition of the NPF, but they refused to do so.
The commission added that it had no choice but to compulsorily retire the DIGs in order to uphold discipline and discourage status reversal, which is inherently inimical to the exercise of authority by the IG.
Ani said, “In the wake of the appointment of the acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on June 19, 2023 by Mr President, the Commission had expected in consonance with the revered tradition of discipline and regimented culture of the Nigeria Police Force that those DIGS who were seniors in rank prior to his elevation will voluntarily apply for retirement or elect to leave the Force.
“The Commission, having waited for ample time with no such application from any of them, took the decision to compulsorily retire them in order to uphold discipline which is the bedrock of the Force, and to discourage status reversal which is inherently inimical to the exercise of authority by the Inspector General.”
The PSC also approved the appointment of four Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), Ibrahim Ka’oje, Daniel Sokari-Pedro, Ayuba Ekpeji and Usman Nagogo, to the rank of DIGs pending ratification by the board of the commission.
The newly appointed DIGs were drawn from the same respective geo-political regions as the retired DIGs.
The PSC said the AIGs were without pending disciplinary matters and/or without any serious medical conditions and health impairments.
