Egbetokun: The End of a Rogue Police Chief

By Taro William

Former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was removed from office by President Bola Tinubu over his reported resistance to the President’s directive to withdraw police officers from Very Important Personalities protection duties, Saturday Global Horizon has learnt.

According to multiple highly placed officials in the Presidency and the police establishment with first-hand knowledge of events that unfolded between Monday evening and Tuesday, the former IG was also compelled to resign over his alleged opposition to state policing and was vindictive towards colleagues.

Although Egbetokun officially cited “family issues” in his resignation letter submitted on Tuesday, insiders told our correspondent that the former police chief was summoned to the Presidential Villa and informed that he had to step down.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment on the matter.

“That Monday evening, he (the President) called him to tell him that he had to go,” one of the sources said.

Another insider explained that the former IG pleaded for more time, asking to be allowed to complete his four-year tenure, which was expected to run until October 2027 under a 2024 amendment to the Police Act granting IGs a fixed term regardless of age or years of service.

“The former IG was supposed to go in 2027. He begged that he be allowed to complete his term. The President said no, he had to go,” the source said.

Global Horizon gathered that the President’s decision was driven by three grievances that had accumulated over several months.

The most immediate trigger, Presidency sources said, was Egbetokun’s handling of the November 23, 2025, presidential directive ordering the withdrawal of over 11,000 police officers from VIP protection duties for them to be redeployed to communities plagued by kidnapping, banditry and terrorism.

An official in the Presidency told our correspondent that Egbetokun did not merely drag his feet but pushed back directly against the President during a meeting with security chiefs, arguing that business leaders and senior corporate executives needed police protection.

“One of the issues is the withdrawal of police from VIPs. He didn’t execute it as quickly as the President wanted. He did it halfheartedly. He actually argued against it with the President during the security meeting, saying that the economic actors, the business people need to be protected,” he said.

The source added that the President rejected the argument, pointing to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps as an adequate replacement.

“The President said yes, they need to be protected. But the police don’t have to protect them. Civil Defence can protect them. In fact, he said, ‘The Civil Defence is even more lethal in handling arms. So, what are you talking about? What is the difference between Civil Defence and the police? They are both carrying arms. So why are you fixated on having police do that?’

“We are not saying they won’t be protected because they are the bloodstream of the economy. We don’t want our business people to die the kind of death they shouldn’t die. But Civil Defence are trained. They’re even more lethal than the police. In any case, the business people also have the resources to hire their own security,” the source added.

On December 10, 2025, weeks after issuing the initial order, President Tinubu reiterated the order at a Federal Executive Council meeting, declaring it “non-negotiable” and directing the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to work with the IGP and NSCDC to replace the withdrawn officers.

He also asked the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Department of State Services to issue further guidance and ensure the directive is effected.

Another insider knowledgeable about the incident revealed that the initial resistance had a financial dimension.

According to the source, the VIP deployment scheme generated over N300bn annually for the police through a system in which businesses and individuals pay a fee for each officer deployed to them.

Egbetokun, blowing the last whistle

The truth of the matter is, from what we know, what goes into the police from money that these people pay for protection is over N300bn annually.

“They collect N100,000 per month from one officer. So, they will give the officer maybe N50,000. So, the rest goes through the chain. It trickles down.

“The President’s order was very disruptive. So, the police establishment was not happy because he removed a big income source from them. They resisted it. Some of them started wearing mufti. So, it means that they found a way to compromise it and the President got to learn about it,” the source said.

Reports had earlier indicated that some officers, rather than comply with the withdrawal order, disguised themselves in NSCDC and vigilante uniforms to continue protecting VIPs, while others paid as much as N500,000 to have their service rifles reissued after returning them.

State police opposition

The second grievance, according to multiple sources who spoke with Saturday PUNCH, is Egbetokun’s alleged opposition to the creation of state police.

State police creation is a flagship security reform that President Tinubu has championed and it is currently the subject of a constitutional amendment process in the National Assembly.

A source familiar with the President’s thinking said the former IGP went as far as presenting a memorandum against state policing at a National Assembly public hearing, a move seen as a direct challenge to the administration’s policy direction.

“He is publicly against state police. Even at the National Assembly, the police memorandum that he read when they did a public hearing, he was against it.

*Courtesy the Punch *