BREAKING: Police Chief Egbetokun Removes Benneth Igweh As AIG Zone 7, Announces Replacement Amid Age-Falsification Scandal
Apart from Igweh, many other senior police officers have been relieved of their duties and replaced by others.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the posting and redeployment of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Gumel H. Mohammed to Zone 7, representing the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State, with immediate effect.
Mohammed replaces AIG Benneth Igweh.
Igweh on Thursday, September 12, 2024, assumed duty as the AIG of Police in charge of Zone 7.
Apart from Igweh, many other senior police officers have been relieved of their duties and replaced by others.
The personnel are to take over from officers implicated in forgery, age falsification, and circumventing service regulations.
SaharaReporters had earlier published a list of about 467 Nigerian police officers found to have falsified their age and bypassed service regulations.
They include Simon Lough, SAN and Benneth Igweh.
A police memo obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday reads, “INFO: INGENPOLSEC ABUJA 254 TH.5361/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.5/ X POSTING SENIOR OFFICER X
“INGENPOL HAS ORDERED THE POSTING OF AIGPOL GUMEL H. MOHAMMED X TO AIG ZONE ‘7 ABUJA X POSTING IS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT-PLEASE XXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.”
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While hundreds of the police officers were implicated in the scandal involving forgery, age falsification, and bypassing service regulations, some were said to have quietly retired.
On Saturday, SaharaReporters reported that the Inspector General of Police, Egbetokun, had ordered that the senior police officers who refused to retire should appear before a disciplinary committee.
A police signal dated February 7, 2025 and obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday, read, “INGENPOL directs you warn and release AP. No. 50645 Idowu Owohunwa, AΡ/ΝΟ. 50703, AIG Benneth Igweh, ΑΡ/ΝΟ. 41704, CP Aina Emmanuel, AP/NO.41741, CP Salama Wakili Abdul, ΑΡ/ΝΟ. 46522, Adepoju Olugbenga Adewole, AP/NO. 57917 DCP Simon Lough, SAN, serving yours to appear before the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) sitting from 10/02/2025 ΤΟ 13/05/2025.
“Time 1000HRS; venue IGP’S Conference Hall, 7th floor, Force Headquarters, Abuja. They are to report in their clean working dress; note daily dress code to be strictly adhered to. Treat as very important please.”
On Friday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that a mutiny was brewing within the Nigeria Police Force, as over 200 affected senior officers were refusing to retire.
SaharaReporters learnt that some of the officers had been serving for up to 44 years and that the development had led to tensions between Egbetokun and the Deputy Inspector General of the Federal Investigation Department, Dasuki Galandanchi.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Galandanchi is seeking a two-year extension, citing the precedent set by Egbetokun, who was granted an extension despite being due for retirement last year.
Another police signal obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday revealed more reshuffling by Egbetokun on February 9, 2025.
The signal reads, “TH.5361/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.5/258x POSTING SENIOR OFFICERS X INGENPOL HAS ORDERED THE POSTING OF THE FOLLOWING DECOMPOLS X TO DC DOPS ZONE 2 LAS X DECOMPOL OJUGBELE E. ADESOLA X TO DC DFA AKWA-IBOM X DECOMPOL PREYE RAYMOND EGBE X TO DC DFA ZONE 2 LAS X DECOMPOL BELLO ADAMU X TO DC CID EBONYI COMMAND X DECOMPOL EMMANUEL CHUKWUEMEKA UGWU fsi X TO DC CID ENUGU COMMAND X DECOMPOL IYA UMAR MOHAMMED X TO DC CID CROSS RIVER COMMAND X DECOMPOL ABUBAKAR ARGUNGU IBRAHIM X TO DC CID PAP WESTERN PORT LAGOS X DECOMPOL OKEY C. NWABUFOR X TO DC DOPS EKS X DECOMPOL TANIMU PRINCE NYATSE SIX TO DE DORS KGS X DECOMPOL ABDULKADIR EL-JAMAL X TOPHEAD, OR CHAMBER LEGA SECTION GID AB DECOMPO SLOPE TO DC ADMIN LEGAL SECTION FCID ABJ X DECOMPOL DANIEL HABILA X TO DC CPTU STAFFPOL JOS X ACPOL EMMANUEL DEEBOM X TO DC DOPS INTERPOL ANNEX LAGOS X ACPOL ABAYOMI AGBANA X TO DC HOMICIDE FCID ENS X ACPOL OLUFEMI E. TAKEET X TO DC DFA ZONE 11 OSHOGBO X ACPOL JOSEPH A. HABAKKUK X TO DC COURSES STAFFPOL JOS X ACPOL FARUKU UMARU X TO DC DOPS ENUGU X ACPOL BENARD ADEDAYO OJEWALE X TO DC FIELD STUDIES PSC JOS X ACPOL MOHAMMED SABO HALADU X TO DC DOPS ZONE 11 OSHOGBO X ACPOL MAMMAN BELLO TAMBUWAL X TO DC GI FCID ANNEX ENUGU X ACPOL KABIRU SALISU X TO DC FIELD STUDIES POLAC X ACPOL HARUNA ADAMU X TO DC DFA STAFFPOL JOS X ACPOL DASHUWER TEPNYAKAS X TO DC DFA ANNEX LAGOS X ACPOL MUSA ABDULLAHI X TO DE ANTI MONEY LAUDRING FCID ABJ X ACPOL ABUBAKAR BELLO MUSTAPHA X TO DC DFA ZONE 9 UMUAHIA X ACPOL UCHENNA B. ANI X TO DC ZCID ZONE 12 BAUCHI X ACPOL BABA GANA SAJE X OFFICERS ON HIGHER DUTY POSTS SHOULD NOT WEAR THE RANK.”
Earlier on Tuesday, SaharaReporters reported that the police authorities have fully authorised the retirement of all officers affected by the forgery and age falsification scandal.
A police wireless message dated February 10, 2025 addressed to all zonal commands, departments, and others referred to the decision reached by the Police Service Commission (PSC) at its 1st Extraordinary Meeting of the 6th Management Board on the regularisation of the date of first appointment of Cadet ASPs/Inspectors force entrants.
The memo with reference number CH:8400/FS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.2/294, reads: “Re: Police Service Commission decision at its 1st Extraordinary Meeting of the 6th Management Board on the regularization of date of first appointment of Cadet ASPs/Inspectors force entrants X INGENPOL firmly directs you proceed with full implementation of POLSCOM directives X unambiguously conveyed in MYLET No. CH:8400/FS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.2/292, dated 01/02/2025 X This sig. supersedes MYSIG No. CH:8400/FS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.2/293 DTO: 051604/02/2025 X for your strict compliance X acknowledge receipt X please X.”
