Ex-AIG, four retired police officers to face court over alleged age falsification
By Uzair Adam
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has filed charges against five retired senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for allegedly falsifying their ages to unlawfully extend their years of service.
The case, brought before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, has been assigned to Justice Yusuf Halilu, who has fixed September 25 for the arraignment of the defendants.
The 14-count charge names Idowu Owohunwa, a retired assistant inspector-general of police; Benneth Igwe and Ukachi Opara, both retired commissioners of police; Obo Ukam Obo, a retired deputy commissioner of police; and Simon Lough, a retired assistant commissioner of police, while also referencing “others at large.”
According to the police, Owohunwa allegedly falsified his date of birth in Abuja in December 2024, claiming July 20, 1970, instead of his actual birth date. Igwe is accused of altering his records to reflect October 7, 1968, when investigators found he was born four years earlier, with his enlistment record showing contradictory entry dates of 1988 and 1996.
Lough allegedly changed his birth date from May 14, 1967, to May 14, 1969, in July 2022 to remain in service.Police say these acts violate public service rules and are punishable under sections 97, 161, 366, and 158 of the Penal Code.
The accused officers, however, denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations malicious and politically motivated.
They said the case arose from a petition by the Integrity Youth Alliance, a civil society group led by Kelvin Adegbenga, which accused them of manipulating service records.
Following the petition, the IGP issued them queries for serious misconduct on January 7, 2025.
In response, Owohunwa admitted a clerical error in his APER form listed 1970 instead of 1967 as his birth year, insisting his official appointment date remained August 15, 1996.
Igwe and Lough also denied the allegations, claiming the petitioners had confused their career records with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) scheme, which allows certain officers’ records to be updated.