Caleb Onwe 
Human rights activist, Omoleye Sowore and his group on Thursday staged a protest in front of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, calling for the immediate removal of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
The demonstration followed a similar protest in the Maitama district of Abuja a few days ago, where police dispersed the group with tear gas while they rallied against the Cybercrime Act and other national issues.
Addressing journalists during the latest protest, Sowore accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of violating the Nigerian Constitution by retaining Egbetokun in office beyond his mandatory retirement date of September 2024.
He argued that the IGP’s extended tenure has demoralized senior police officers and contributed to the worsening insecurity across the country.
“Tinubu cannot continue to flout Nigeria’s Constitution by keeping Egbetokun in office past his retirement. This has weakened the police force, lowered the morale of senior officers, and allowed insecurity to thrive unchecked,” Sowore stated.
In a sarcastic jab, he suggested that if the president was intent on retaining Egbetokun’s services, he should allow him to retire from the police and appoint him to lead the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) instead.
“If Tinubu loves Egbetokun so much, let him head the NURTW, not the Nigeria Police,” Sowore quipped.
The protest at the Force Headquarters drew attention to ongoing debates about leadership transitions within the police force and their broader implications for national security.
Sowore and his supporters vowed to continue their agitation until their demands were met.
Details later…
