Uche Ifeanyi, the Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) and Chairman of the INTERPOL African Working Group on Cybercrime, has opted not to retire from the force, citing a judgment from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) that the police did not appeal.
According to sources, Simon Lough, the Head of the NPF Legal Section, who also benefits from this judgment, intentionally refrained from filing an appeal.
The crux of the dispute involves police officers who began their careers as Police Constables or non-commissioned officers, such as Police Sergeants or Corporals. These officers are contesting the official date of their appointments, debating whether it should reflect their initial enlistment as constables or their subsequent transition to cadets.
This issue emerged after positions for Assistant Superintendent of Police and Inspectors were advertised. Officers from the rank and file, holding university degrees and interested in the cadet programme, were instructed to resign from their initial roles. Consequently, some officers now insist on using their original enlistment dates rather than the dates they became cadets.
Notably, multiple NICN judgments have favored these officers. However, on January 31, the Police Service Commission (PSC) reversed its earlier stance, deciding that the date of enlistment should be based on when officers joined the cadet programme. The PSC subsequently approved the immediate retirement of senior officers who were over 60 years old or had served for 35 years.
One source stated, “Uche’s refusal to retire is based on a judgment procured at the industrial court which was fraudulently obtained and was not appealed because Simon Lough was benefiting from it.”
Another source added, “Simon Lough, being head of the Police Legal Unit, never appealed the obvious fraudulent judgment. He was the originator and made sure the police never contested in the proceedings which he initiated.”
The judgment essentially states that any police officer who entered the force as a sergeant but later converted to cadet would not have their original date of enlistment as their benchmark for retirement.
“Uche of NCCC, who ought to have retired in 2023, is also a beneficiary,” another source noted.
Furthermore, it’s alleged that Simon Lough facilitated a document from former IG Usman Alkali’s office to the PSC, indicating that the IG would not contest the ruling, allowing the appeal period to lapse.
Meanwhile, the PSC, at its 1st extraordinary meeting of the 6th Management Board held on Friday, January 31, 2025, revisited their earlier decision. They concluded that the previous stance contradicted the principle of merger of service in the public service and violated Public Service Rule No 020908 (i & ii), which mandates retirement upon reaching 35 years in service or 60 years of age.
Ikechukwu Ani, PSC Head of Press and Public Relations, announced that the Commission approved the immediate retirement of senior police officers who have exceeded these limits.
The Commission’s decision was conveyed to the Inspector General of Police for implementation.
In related developments, an investigation has implicated several senior officers, including Simon Lough, SAN, the Head of the NPF Legal Section, in allegations of falsifying and backdating records. Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has ordered a comprehensive probe into these allegations.
A memo dated January 13, 2025, signed by Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Force Secretary, AIG Olofu Rhoda, listed officers implicated in violations of service regulations.
Following the PSC’s extraordinary meeting on January 31, Ani noted that the Commission had previously, in September 2017, approved that force entrants should have their date of appointment in the force against the date of their enlistment. However, upon review, the Commission found this decision contradictory to public service principles and approved the immediate retirement of officers exceeding the service limits.
Sources also revealed that additional senior police officers have been implicated in altering their ages to extend their tenure beyond the statutory retirement age. Among those involved is the Assistant Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Airwing, Danladi Lalas.
Recently, six senior police officers implicated in age falsification and service regulation violations appeared before the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja following their summons. The hearings began on Monday, February 10, and are scheduled to conclude on Thursday, February 13.
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