Tension Rises As Egbetokun Overrules PSC, Halts Dismissal Of Police Officers

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has reportedly instructed all police officers impacted by the recent retirement directive from the Police Service Commission (PSC) to remain in their positions.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Egbetokun directed the affected officers to maintain the status quo while awaiting further instructions.

This development follows the PSC’s order for the immediate retirement of senior officers who have either surpassed 35 years of service or reached the age of 60.

The directive has fueled ongoing debates regarding the tenure of IGP Egbetokun himself, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday.

In a statement released on Friday, PSC’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, disclosed that the commission had revised its 2017 policy, which previously allowed officers to consider their enlistment date rather than their initial appointment date for retirement purposes.

The commission has now rescinded that policy, aligning with Public Service Rule No. 020908 (i & ii), which mandates retirement for officers after 35 years of service or upon turning 60.

Ani added that the decision to reverse the 2017 policy was made after determining it conflicted with standard public service retirement guidelines.

However, Vanguard reports that a wireless message from the Force Secretary’s office reveals that the IGP has issued a counter-order.

The message stated that Egbetokun “firmly directs all officers affected by the PSC’s directive to disregard the retirement order until further notice.” Officers were instructed to comply strictly with this new directive.

Meanwhile, the PSC clarified that its retirement directive does not apply to the IGP, as the commission lacks the constitutional authority to remove Egbetokun from office.