Tinubu Urges To Sack IGP Egbetokun Over Abuse Of Office, Rot In Nigeria Police

In an open letter addressed to the President, Adeyanju accused the leadership of the NPF of personalising and weaponising the Force, alleging that it is now being used to intimidate citizens, settle personal scores, and suppress civic freedoms such as peaceful protests and lawful dissent.

Human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in what he describes as the deepening rot within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), citing widespread abuse, poor welfare, and systemic failures under the current Inspector-General of Police.

Adeyanju noted that the Force has become increasingly compromised by a pattern of conduct that has brought the institution into disrepute.

He said the Force is now being used to settle personal scores and silence dissenting voices, eroding the civic space and promoting fear.

He also expressed concern over the welfare of police officers, noting that many operate under what he termed “inhumane conditions,” including poor remuneration, lack of modern equipment, inadequate housing, and minimal support.

According to Adeyanju, these challenges have significantly lowered morale, with the recent police protests serving as a symptom of deeper frustrations within the ranks.

The letter further condemned what he called a culture of nepotism and favoritism in police promotions, suggesting that competence has been sidelined in favour of ethnicity and political loyalty.

Calling for urgent reforms, Adeyanju urged President Tinubu to relieve the current Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of his duties and appoint a new leader who will restore professionalism, uphold human rights, and rebuild the Force’s constitutional integrity.

The statement read, “With utmost respect for the office you occupy, I write to draw your attention to the deepening rot within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which, if left unchecked, threatens to completely erode public trust and destroy the very institution meant to protect us all.

“Under the watch of the current Inspector-General of Police, the Force has become increasingly compromised by a pattern of conduct that has brought the institution into disrepute. The NPF has become personalized and weaponized, with growing reports of the Force being used to settle personal scores and intimidate private citizens.

“The civic space has shrunk under a climate of fear. Peaceful expression, association, and lawful dissent are now treated with suspicion or outright hostility by an institution that should protect these freedoms.

“More disturbingly, the men and women who serve in the police force continue to operate under conditions that are nothing short of inhumane. Reports of nepotism, favoritism and ethnic promotions above competence and institutional framework has become order of the day.”

“Officers lack adequate welfare, modern equipment, proper housing, and fair remuneration resulting into the recent police protest. The morale of the average police man is low, and yet they are still expected to perform optimally. A Force that is deprived of dignity cannot enforce the law with dignity,” he added.

“The NPF urgently needs reform, but reform cannot happen under leadership that undermines its very principles. It is in light of this that I respectfully urge you to act decisively by relieving the current Inspector-General of Police of his duties and appointing a leader with a clear commitment to constitutional order and human rights.”

This comes a day after human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore honoured a police invitation at the IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters in Abuja, where he was detained on the orders of Egbetokun, who acted as a judge in his case

SaharaReporters previously reported that lawyer Marshal Abubakar also accused Egbetokun of abuse of office and illegality in the ongoing detention of SaharaReporters publisher, Sowore.

Sowore had honoured a police invitation on Wednesday, accompanied by his legal team, including Abubakar. However, according to Abubakar, he was detained based on what he described as baseless petitions originating from within the same Nigeria Police Force that is investigating him.

Speaking to journalists after Sowore honoured a police invitation on Wednesday, Abubaker lambasted the Force under Egbetokun.