Youth Alliance Educates One-Man, Onwubiko’s HURIWA, On IGP’s Tenure

The Integrity Youth Alliance, an organisation that has been monitoring development trends in the Nigerian Police Force for over 15 years, schooled the one-man NGO Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on the tenure of the Inspector General of Police.

Reacting to a publication titled “NIS: Tenure extensions on Tinubu’s watch favour only Yoruba; HURIWA alleges,” the publicity director of the Alliance, Danjuma Lamido, said it is unfortunate that ignorants like Emmanuel Onwubiko could refer to the tenured office of the Inspector General of Police as an extension.

“Despite his ignorance, he still says, “President Bola Tinubu pushed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 to the NASS to amend the Police Act of 2020. This was to enable Egbetokun to complete a full term of four years.”

“The same HURIWA said that the Public Service Rule 020810 declares a compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service to be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier, but forgot that the position of the Inspector General of Police is an appointment as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended): “There shall be— (a) an Inspector-General of Police who the President shall appoint subject to section 216(2) of this Constitution”.

“We wish to state that Egbetokun’s constitutional tenure did not create any internal schism. Also, there was nothing like a massive purge of many “so-called ambitious and activist senior police officers” by the hierarchy of the Nigeria police favoured by President Tinubu, as made believe by the one-man NGO, HURIWA.

“We recall that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has declared that the amendment of the Police Act by the National Assembly in 2024 was in order and no individual or organisation has gone to court to challenge that to date; not even the one-man NGO, HURIWA.

“On a final note, we wish to say that IGP Kayode Egbetokun got his appointment on merits, competences and patriotism against the malicious statement by one man NGO, HURIWA, that his tenured office was based on friendship and ethnic affiliation, the statement concluded.

SWYA Carpets Sahara Reporters Story As An Example Of Irresponsible Journalism

The South West Youth Alliance has lambasted the publisher of the serial blackmail, Sahara Reporters, and failed former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore over his reckless and dubious statement on the person of IGP Kayode Egbetokun.

Responding to a publication by Sahara Reporters titled “Sowore Lambasts Tinubu For Extending Kemi Nandap’s Tenure As Nigerian Immigration Boss, Says It’s Reward For Incompetence Just Like IGP Egbetokun,” the coordinator of the alliance, Taiwo Adegbenga, said that Sowore is out to tarnish the reputation of IGP Egbetokun by saying that “Kayode Egbetokun, as IGP of Nigeria Police Force, was murdering protesters and charging minors for treason.”

“We challenge the failed former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to show Nigerians the protesters “murdered by Kayode Egbetokun as IGP” or face legal action for this reckless and mischievous statement.

“Ensuring accurate and factual reporting is part of the code of ethics guiding the journalism profession anywhere in the world. But it’s quite unfortunate that Sahara Reporters do not regard this ethical standard, and this explains why the medium is filled with a myriad of unverified and baseless reports and fabrications.

“Laziness and irresponsibility of media organisations like Sahara Reporters will continue to murder the journalism profession in Nigeria. It is pathetic that a media outfit like Sahara Reporters could publish this kind of unverified” story—“Kayode Egbetokun, as IGP of the Nigeria Police Force, was murdering protesters and charging minors for treason.” This is irresponsible journalism at its peak.

“We therefore call on Omoyele Sowore and Sahara Reporters to desist from dishing out baseless, unverified reports as well as stop misinforming and misleading the public, which are fast becoming their trademark.