Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has addressed the controversy surrounding the submission of two versions of the 2025 budget to the National Assembly. He clarified that the police did not submit separate proposals, as some reports suggested. Instead, two versions of the same budget document were provided—one comprehensive and the other an abridged version, both containing identical figures but with the latter using simpler language for ease of understanding.
Egbetokun made the clarification in a statement issued on Friday through the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi. The statement, titled “Budget Presentation: IGP clarifies budget presentation ‘drama’ at National Assembly, calls for citizen cooperation,” explained the confusion that arose during the presentation of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) 2025 budget to the Joint Committees on Police Affairs and Police Institutions at the National Assembly on Thursday.
The IGP described the incident as “unfortunate and avoidable.” He explained that the budget documents had been shared with committee members prior to the presentation. Both versions—comprehensive and abridged—contained the same figures and information, but the abridged version was simplified for better comprehension.
At the beginning of the session, the committee members had unanimously agreed to allow the IGP to present the abridged version, as they had already received both copies. However, Senator Onyekachi Nwoebonyi of Ebonyi North, who arrived late, began referencing the comprehensive version during the presentation. Despite other committee members explaining the earlier agreement and the consistency between the two versions, the senator insisted on using the comprehensive document and left the session abruptly.
Egbetokun expressed disappointment over what he described as “unnecessary drama” that could have been avoided if the senator had been more open to the clarifications offered. He reiterated that the Nigeria Police Force had only submitted one budget, not two, contrary to the circulating media reports.
The IGP also highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by the Nigeria Police Force in securing adequate funding. These challenges, he explained, include insufficient budget allocations, delays in fund releases, and the restrictive envelope budget system. These issues continue to hinder the Force’s ability to modernize and provide effective service to the public.
Egbetokun urged the public to remain patient and supportive of the Police, assuring them that the Force is committed to delivering professional and dedicated service despite these challenges.
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