The Police Service Commission (PSC) has announced the immediate retirement of senior police officers who are either above 60 years of age or have served for more than 35 years. This decision was made during an extraordinary meeting of the PSC’s management board, according to a statement released on Friday by Ikechukwu Ani, the commission’s spokesperson.

Ani explained that the PSC reversed a previous decision made in September 2017, which had allowed police officers to have their date of appointment calculated from their enlistment date. The commission concluded that this earlier decision conflicted with Public Service Rule No. 020908 (i&ii), which mandates that civil servants retire after 35 years of service or upon reaching the age of 60.

The PSC has communicated this decision to Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun. “The Commission has approved the immediate retirement of senior police officers who have served more than 35 years or are above 60 years of age,” the statement read. “The 2017 decision was found to contradict the principles of public service rules and has been overturned.”

This development comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding the tenure extension of IGP Egbetokun. On Thursday, Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, stated that Egbetokun’s continued service is lawful. Fagbemi emphasized that Egbetokun’s appointment, which began on October 31, 2023, is valid for a four-year term.

Egbetokun was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on June 19, 2023, to replace Usman Baba as Inspector-General of Police. His appointment was confirmed by the National Police Council on October 31, 2023. Under Section 7 of the Police Act 2020, the IGP is entitled to serve for four years. However, Egbetokun, born on September 4, 1964, was initially expected to retire on September 4, 2024, when he turned 60.

Section 18(8) of the Police Act aligns with the civil service rule, stating that every police officer must retire after 35 years of service or upon reaching the age of 60, whichever comes first. Despite this, in July 2024, the National Assembly passed a bill allowing the IGP to remain in office until the end of the term specified in his appointment letter, further fueling the debate over retirement policies in the police force.