The Nigeria Police Force has compulsorily retired six high-ranking officers, including the former Commissioner of Police (CP) for the Federal Capital Territory, Bennett Igweh. Two of the officers were also demoted ahead of their retirement.
The directive, confirmed through a wireless message dated March 4, 2025, was issued by the Force Secretary. It revealed that Igweh, who had recently been promoted to Assistant Inspector General (AIG) and was assigned to head Zone 7 Police Headquarters in Abuja, was demoted to Commissioner of Police before his forced retirement.
Likewise, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the first serving policeman to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria Simon Lough, was demoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police ahead of his departure.
Other affected officers include AIG Idowu Owohunwa, who retired as of February 10, 2025, CP Bennett Igweh, who retired effective May 1, 2023, CP Aina Emmanuel A., retired as of February 10, 2025, CP Salama Wakili Abdul, who retired on February 26, 2025, ACP Simon A. Iough (SAN), retired August 1, 2022, and ACP Dakon Philip Sarpiya, retired on December 12, 2023.
The retirements came after an extraordinary meeting of the Police Service Commission on February 20, 2025, which led to the decision. A message detailing the retirements was marked “CH:8400/FS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/346” and titled “Discharge and Retirement,” directing the immediate removal of the officers’ names from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The official message ordered the deletion of the officers’ names from the payroll and instructed that their retirements be recorded accordingly.
When asked for a comment, Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi directed inquiries to the Police Service Commission (PSC). However, PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani stated he had not yet been briefed on the issue at the time of contact.
Sequel to an earlier report that over 300 police officers including DCP Simon Asamber Lough (SAN); AIG Abdul Yari; AIG Idowu Owohunwa; AIG Ben Igwe; CP Peter Ukachi Opara; CP Obo Obo Ukani; and ACP Akpan Brown have been linked to an age falsification scandal within the Nigeria Police Force, Lough, the Head of Chambers, Legal Section of the Nigeria Police Force and the force first Senior Advocate as denied the allegation of backdating his police records to delay his retirement levelled against him by a civil society group, The Integrity Youth Alliance.
He also demanded a retraction of the libellous report.
Prior to his demand, a source close to the officers named in the scandal described the publications about age falsification as false.
The source who does not want his name in print said: “Both the issue of falsification and retirement are false. None Of the officers forged or backdated his age. I know most of them.
“The facts are that they joined the Police Force as constables, some in about 1986. In 1992 the Police Force Management Team advertised for those who had become graduates after joining the Police Force up to that 1992 to resign and rejoin the Police Force and train afresh as ASP graduate cadets.
“All of them mentioned there among others resigned and rejoined as ASP Cadets, went through the required training and at the end were issued new employment letters and redeployed to serve at various formations and units.
“Before the 35-year due date for their retirement from the 1992 date, a new set of Police Management team asked them to retire from service based on the earlier 1986 date that they joined the Police Force as Constables. They refused since that no longer counted. When the Police Authorities insisted and tried to force them out, they went to Court and won.
“The Police Authorities had no choice but to implement the Court’s judgment and uphold a terminal date for their retirement from 1992.”
Counsel to DCP Lough, SAN, Adeleke Agboola, SAN in a 24 January 2025 letter, addressed to The Integrity Youth Alliance, Trojan Insight News and Sahara Reporters said: “We are instructed by DCP Simon Lough, SAN, the first police officer in Nigeria elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2021, and we have his instructions to write this letter.
‘’Our client’s attention has been drawn to the above-referenced story which has been published by different online media houses, like the TROJAN INSIGHT which tagged the defamatory statement thus:“SIMON LOUGH, NIGERIA POLICE LEGAL HEAD, OTHERS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR BACKDATING RECORDS TO DELAY RETIREMENT.
“Published online on the 19th January 2025 via https:/trojaninsights.com/simon-lough-nigeria-police-legal-head-others: under-investigation-for-backdating-records-to-delay-retirement.
“The Sahara Reporters also headlined the defamatory statement as: ‘Simon Lough, Nigeria Police Legal Head, Others Under Investigation For Backdating records To Delay Retirement’ via https://saharareporters.com/2025/01/19/simon-lough-nigeria-police-legal-head-others-under-investigation-backdating-records.
“It is our client’s express instruction that the above-captioned story as it relates to him at the material time is false. Our client was born on 14th May 1969 and joined the Police as a Cadet ASP on the 1st of May, 2000.
“Our client was never enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on January 8, 1987, and therefore could not have retired on January 8, 2022, as maliciously published by you, with the intention to besmirch his reputation.
“You published the defamatory and injurious story against our client without seeking his side of the story in accordance with the media principle and ethical responsibility of news balancing.
‘’Thus, DCP Simon Lough has requested a retraction of the defamatory statement made against him wherein he was listed among the police personnel engaged in the unethical practice of backdating their history records.’’
