The Integrity Youth Alliance, an organisation monitoring the development trends in the Nigeria Police Force for over 15 years, has said that Barrister Joseph Seun Onele lacks the locus standi to file a suit against the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
Responding to a publication that one lawyer, Joseph Seun Onele, has instituted a suit before a Federal High Court, Lagos, asking the court to stop IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun from parading himself as Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the National Coordinator of the Alliance, Kelvin Adegbenga, said that Barrister Joseph Seun Onele cannot hide under the guise of public interest to approach the court on the issue of whether or not the IGP should retain his office.
“Barrister Onele has failed to establish that he has any peculiar or special interest in who occupies the office of the Inspector General of Police over and above other Nigerians.
“We see Barrister Onele as a busybody and meddlesome interloper, as there is no evidence showing that he (Barrister Onele) is a serving police officer who is qualified for appointment or has ever applied for the Inspector General of Police position and was denied.
“Section 7(6) of the Police Act 2020 puts the tenure of office of any Inspector General of Police at four years, and Section 8(a) establishes the tenure of the Inspector General of Police at four years from the date of his letter of appointment.
“This is aimed at guaranteeing the tenure of the IGP and revolutionising police operations by enhancing accountability, modernising policing methods, and fostering a more harmonious relationship between the police and the community.
“We wish to state that Egbetokun’s retirement from the Nigeria Police Force has nothing to do with his appointment because the four-year tenure is sacrosanct, the statement concluded.
It will be recalled that Barrister Onele’s suit marked FHC/L/CS/254/2025, in which Egbetokun was listed as the 5th respondent, also has Nigeria’s President, Attorney-General of Federation, Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria Police Council, Police Service Commission, National Assembly, Senate President, Speaker, and House of Representatives as first, second, third, fourth, sixth, seventh, ninth, 10th, 11th, and 12th respondents.
