An executive bill regarding the appointment and tenure of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Nigeria has been passed by The National Assembly to amend the Nigeria Police Act 2020.
On Tuesday, the bill raced through its second and third readings in the Senate before being sent to the House of Representatives for additional review.
The proposed legislation seeks to secure the term of the IGP, upgrade police functions, increase responsibility and promote improved connections between law enforcement and society.
President Bola Tinubu introduced this bill with a view to ensuring that appointed IGPs serve their full tenure as specified in Section 7(6) of the Police Act 2020 which states “The person chosen for appointment as Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years.”
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The executive bill aims to modify Section 18 of the Principal Act by introducing a new subsection (8A) which states that regardless of what is stated in subsection (8), an individual appointed as Inspector-General of Police shall hold office until the term specified in their appointment letter expires, following the guidelines set out in Section 7(6) of this Act.
The existing text in Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020 stipulates that all police officers must serve in the Nigeria Police Force for a maximum period of thirty-five years or until they reach sixty, depending on which comes first. This provision refers to civil service guidelines governing retirement.
IGP Egbetokun, who assumed office in June 2023, is set to celebrate his 60th birthday on September 4, 2024. He became a member of the Nigeria Police Force on March 3,1990 and will attain thirty-five years of service by March 2025. If President Tinubu endorses the revised tenure bill into legislation IGP Egbetokun would be eligible to serve beyond retirement age as stipulated by civil service rules.
The newly proposed amendment in legislation would permit the present IGP to complete his tenure as stipulated, defying the regular retirement regulations of civil service.
