Age Falsification Scandal: Police Prosecute Retired AIG, 4 Commissioners

Five retired senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force including an Assistant Inspector General have been hauled before a court in Abuja for allegedly falsifying their ages to unlawfully extend their service years.

Persecondnews reports that Police Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun filed charges against the retired officers at the Federal High Court.

The case has been assigned to Mr. Justice Yusuf Halilu, who has fixed Thursday, September 25 for the arraignment of the defendants.

The 14-count charge named a retired Assistant IGP Idowu Owohunwa; retired Commissioners Benneth Igwe and Ukachi Opara: retired Deputy Commissioner Obo Ukam Obo; retired Assistant Commissioner Simon Lough. The charge also referenced ‘others at large’.

According to the police, Owohunwa allegedly falsified a declaration of age in Abuja in December 2024, claiming he was born on 20 July 1970, instead of his actual date of birth.

Igwe is accused of altering his record to reflect 7 October 1968, as his date of birth, when investigators found he was born four years earlier.

His enlistment record was also said to contain contradictions, showing both 1988 and 1996 as entry dates.

Lough was accused of falsifying his age in July 2022 to remain in service. While his records initially reflected 14 May 1967, he allegedly altered them to 14 May 1969.

According to the police authorities, the acts violate the public service rules and are punishable under sections 97, 161, 366, and 158 of the Penal Code.

The accused officers have denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as malicious and politically motivated.

They said the case stemmed 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 had, on 7 January 2025, issued them queries for serious misconduct.

In his response dated 16 January, Owohunwa admitted that a clerical mix-up in his Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) form for senior police officers had mistakenly listed 1970 as his birth year instead of 1967.

He insisted that his official appointment date remained 15 August 1996.

Igwe and Lough also claimed their innocence, arguing that the petitioners had confused their career records with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria scheme, which allows certain officers to be upgraded and effectively resets their service records.