Police to arraign ex-AIG, retired CPs over ‘age falsification’

Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), has filed charges against five retired senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for allegedly falsifying their ages to unlawfully extend their service years.

The case, brought before the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, has been assigned to Yusuf Halilu, a judge, who has fixed September 25 for the arraignment of the defendants.

The 14-count charge lists Idowu Owohunwa, a retired assistant inspector-general of police; Benneth Igwe and Ukachi Opara, both retired commissioners of police; Obo Ukam Obo, a retired deputy commissioner of police; and Simon Lough, a retired assistant commissioner of police. The charge also referenced “others at large”.

According to the police, Owohunwa allegedly falsified a declaration of age in Abuja in December 2024, claiming he was born on July 20, 1970, instead of his actual date of birth.

Igwe is accused of altering his record to reflect October 7, 1968, as his date of birth, when investigators found he was born four years earlier.

His enlistment record was also said to contain contradictions, showing both 1988 and 1996 as entry dates.

Lough was accused of falsifying his age in July 2022 to remain in service. While his records initially reflected May 14, 1967, he allegedly altered them to May 14, 1969.

According to the police authorities, the acts violate the public service rules and are punishable under sections 97, 161, 366, and 158 of the Penal Code.

The accused officers have denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as malicious and politically motivated.

They said the case stemmed from a petition by the Integrity Youth Alliance, a civil society group led by Kelvin Adegbenga, which accused them of manipulating service records.

Following the petition, the IGP had, on January 7, 2025, issued them queries for serious misconduct.

In his response dated January 16, Owohunwa admitted that a clerical mix-up in his APER form for senior police officers had mistakenly listed 1970 as his birth year instead of 1967.

He insisted that his official appointment date remained August 15, 1996.

Igwe and Lough also claimed their innocence, arguing that the petitioners had confused their career records with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) scheme, which allows certain officers to be upgraded and effectively resets their service records.