By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
A major shake-up has hit the Nigeria Police Force as the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, filed criminal charges against five retired senior officers accused of falsifying their age records to extend their service years.
The officers, including retired AIG Idowu Owohunwa, retired CPs Benneth Igwe and Ukachi Opara, retired DCP Obo Ukam Obo, and retired ACP Simon Lough, face a 14-count charge before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court.
Charges include conspiracy, forgery, and misconduct, with prosecutors alleging that the officers deliberately altered their official records to beat mandatory retirement rules.
Court documents reveal that Owohunwa allegedly changed his birth date in 2024 to extend his service, while Igwe and Lough are accused of similar alterations to their records. Investigators insist these were not clerical errors but calculated acts.
The case stems from a January 2025 petition by the Integrity Youth Alliance, a civil society group, which accused several officers of age falsification. Acting on the petition, the IGP issued formal queries before escalating the matter to court.
While the accused dismissed the charges as politically motivated, internal investigations reportedly confirmed inconsistencies in their service records.
Senior police officials argue that the case is crucial to safeguarding the integrity of the Force, given the senior ranks held by the accused.
Legal experts say the trial could have wider implications across the civil service, where age falsification is seen as an “open secret.”
Observers believe a conviction may trigger audits across other government institutions, exposing decades of unchecked abuse.
The arraignment, slated for today, is expected to attract wide attention from both law enforcement circles and civil society groups pushing for accountability.