DETAILS: Why Police Forcefully Retire Four DIGs

Four Deputy Inspector General of Police DIGs have been forcefully retired by the Police Service Commission (PSC), ENigeria Newspaper reports.

ENigeria Newspaper understands that the DIGS who were forcefully retired are Dan-Mallam Mohammed, Moses Jitiboh, Hafiz Inuwa and Adeleke Bode who were asked to immediately proceed on compulsory retirement.

Upon the compulsory retirement of the four DIGS, the PSC further approved the appointment of four Assistant Inspector General of Police AIGs to the rank of DIGs to replace the outgoing ones. They are Ibrahim Ka’oje, Daniel Sokari-Pedro, Ayuba Ekpeji, and Usman Nagogo.

The directive to forcefully retire the DIGs earlier mentioned according to sources stems from the fact that per police custom, they failed to retire following the appointment of their colleague, Olukayode Egbetokun, as the acting Inspector-General of Police.

The spokesperson for the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja on Monday, noting that the PSC gave the order in the exercise of its statutory powers pursuant to the Third Schedule, Part 1 M, para A&B of the 1999 Constitution, reinforced with Section 6 of the PSC (Establisment) Act 2001, para a, c, d, e, & f.

He explained that the order became imperative because the PSC had expected those DIGs who were seniors in rank prior to Egbetokun’s appointment as IG, to voluntarily retire, adding that such expected application was in consonance with the revered tradition of discipline and regimented culture of the Nigeria Police Force.

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 newly appointed DIGs, who are without pending disciplinary matters and/or without any serious medical conditions and health impairments, according to Ani, were drawn from the same respective geo-political regions of the retired ones.