…… Says Egbetokun don’t have the power to retire AIG Owohunwa
The Integrity Youth Alliance has lambasted Sahara Reporters, the serial misinformation outfit, for disregarding the Constitution of Nigeria, especially the Nigeria Police Act 2020 (as amended).
Responding to a misleading publication by Sahara Reporters titled “EXCLUSIVE: IGP Kayode Egbetokun Removes All Senior Officers Exceeding Retirement Age, Service Limit Like Himself; AIG Owohunwa Set For Removal Next Week,” the Director of Publicity of the Alliance, Danjuma Lamido, said that there are no concerns within the Nigeria Police Force over the continued stay of Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, in office, as Section 7(6) and Section 8(1) of the Police Act 2020 (as amended) are very clear.
“We want to enlighten the ignorance of Sahara Reporters that IGP Egbetokun did not retire all his coursemates, as the power to retire lies with the Police Service Commission. The IGP sees all police officers as equal before him, as there are no senior officers believed to be loyal to him.
“We challenge Sahara Reporters to mention their fictitious police insiders who are questioning why the IGP himself remains in the office while enforcing strict retirement policies on others. Sahara Reporters has become the most misleading news blog in Nigeria, and no reasonable reader takes them seriously again, Lamido said.
“To further show that Sahara Reporters is out to mislead its few readers, the blog lied again that “the IGP has confided in several top sources within the presidency that he nearly lost his position if not for the intervention of First Lady Remi Tinubu, to whom he is said to be extremely close.
“We wish to say categorically that IGP Egbetokun is not desperate to remain in office. He has been a fulfilled man since his days as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to date.
“It is completely false news that the latest casualty of IGP Egbetokun is Assistant Inspector General, AIG Idowu Owohunwa. Egbetokun sees all police personnel as his own; AIG Idowu Owohunwa is never and can never be a threat to Egbetokun’s continued stay in office.
Lamido further reiterated that Sahara Reporters goofed big time by saying that “Owohunwa’s retirement letter is already prepared and set to be issued next week after he failed to secure promotion to the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG).” IGP Egbetokun doesn’t have the power to sack any senior officers; that power lies in the hands of the Police Service Commission.
“IGP Egbetokun at no time ever says “he will ensure that none of his fiercest rivals who dangerously lobbied for his position will succeed him’; that was a figment of the imagination of the mischievous Sahara Reporters, Lamido reiterated.
“To this end, we wish to state that the continued occupation of the office of the Inspector General of Police by IGP Egbetokun did not raise serious ethical and legal concerns. Sahara Reporters has failed in all its antics against Egbetokun and will continue to fail, Lamido said.
