IGP Orders Investigation of INTERPOL Chief, 3 AIGs, and 2 Other Senior Officers

The Inspector General of Police has mandated a probe into the actions of the INTERPOL chief, three Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs), and two other senior officers amidst ongoing investigations.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered a thorough and immediate investigation into allegations against the Head of INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), AIG Idowu Owohunwa, AIG Abdul Yari, and five other senior police officers for unethical practices related to altering their service records.

This directive is detailed in a memorandum sent to the head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, dated January 13, 2025. It was signed by Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Force Secretary AIG Olofu Rhoda.

SaharaReporters published a report on Saturday stating that the officers being investigated are AIG Abdul Yari, AIG Idowu Owohunwa, AIG Ben Igwe, CP Peter Ukachi Opara, CP Obo Obo Ukani, DCP Simon Asamber Lough (SAN), and ACP Akpan Brown.

They are accused of engaging in the unethical practice of altering their service records to appear as if they were completed earlier than they actually were.

The investigation was initiated following a letter from the civic organization Integrity Youth Alliance, Abuja, dated January 6, 2025.

The memo stated, “The Inspector-General of Police instructs you to conduct an investigation and provide the findings by Monday, January 20th, 2025.”

The memo continued, stating: “It’s important to highlight that ‘Force Entrant’ is a program by the Nigeria Police Force in which eligible officers with the necessary educational qualifications are promoted to a higher rank after completing a short training course at either the Police Academy or an approved Police College. This does not constitute a new appointment.”

This essentially means that the service duration of these officers continues accumulating without automatically resetting.

As a result, in line with the Public Service Rules (specifically Rule 020810 of Chapter Two), the individuals listed below, having served in public service and received their salaries as mandated by law, cannot continue beyond the legally allowed period.

In reference to our letter dated December 30, 2024, here are some names of police personnel involved in the unethical practice of backdating their history records: AIG Abdui Yari, AIG Idowu Owohunwa, AIG Ben Igwe, CP Peter Ukachi Opara, CP Obo Obo Ukani, DCP Simon Asamber Lough (SAN), and ACP Akpan Brown.

Earlier this week, reports emerged that AIG Shuaya’u Lafia Abdulyari from Nigeria’s North-Central region was accused of modifying his retirement records to prolong his tenure in office.