The Nigeria Police Force has filed a 14-count criminal charge against five retired senior officers, accusing them of falsifying their age records to unlawfully extend their years of service.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, instituted the case before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, with the arraignment fixed for Thursday, September 25, 2025.
Those listed in the charge sheet include retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Idowu Owohunwa; retired Commissioners of Police, Benneth Igwe and Ukachi Opara; retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Obo Ukam Obo; and retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Simon Lough. The court documents also mentioned “others at large.”
According to the charges, Owohunwa allegedly altered his age declaration in December 2024 to reflect July 20, 1970, instead of his real date of birth. Igwe was accused of falsifying his record to show 1968 as his year of birth instead of 1964, while inconsistencies were also found in his enlistment documents, which bore 1988 and 1996 as separate entry dates.
The police further claimed that Lough tampered with his records in July 2022, changing his birth date from May 14, 1967, to May 14, 1969, in violation of the Public Service Rules.
Prosecutors said the alleged offences contravene Sections 97, 161, 366 and 158 of the Penal Code and are punishable under Nigerian law.
However, the accused officers have dismissed the allegations as baseless, describing the case as a witch-hunt.
They argued that the charges stemmed from a petition filed in January 2025 by a civil society organisation, the Integrity Youth Alliance, led by Kelvin Adegbenga, which accused them of manipulating official records to elongate their service years.
Following the petition, the police authorities issued queries of serious misconduct. In his response dated January 16, 2025, Owohunwa admitted that there was a “mix-up” in his Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) form, which wrongly altered his year of birth from 1967 to 1970.
He, however, maintained that his official appointment date of August 15, 1996, had never changed.
Similarly, Igwe and Lough denied wrongdoing, insisting that the petitioner had confused their files with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) scheme, which allows for career upgrades that may reflect altered service records.
Despite their defence, the police insisted that the contradictions in their records were sufficient grounds for prosecution.
The arraignment is expected to spark keen interest within security circles, given the stature of the officers involved and the implications for accountability in the Force.
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