Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has scheduled the trial of five retired senior police officials for Thursday, September 25, 2025. They face allegations of falsifying their ages to unlawfully prolong their tenure in service.
The charges were brought forward following a petition by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetukun, who accused the officers of forgery.
The indictment comprises 14 counts and targets Idowu Owohunwa, a former Assistant Inspector General; Benneth Igwe, a retired Commissioner of Police; Ukachi Opara, also a retired Commissioner of Police; Obo Ukam Obo, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police; Simon Lough, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police; along with other unidentified individuals.
Specifically, in count 11, Owohunwa is alleged to have deliberately submitted a falsified age declaration in December 2024 in Abuja, stating his birthdate as July 20, 1970, instead of his true birthdate.
Count 12 accuses CP Igwe of manipulating his birth records to reflect October 7, 1968, while investigations revealed his actual birthdate as October 7, 1964. Additionally, discrepancies were found in his enlistment records, which inconsistently listed 1988 and 1996 as his joining years.
Count 13 charges ACP Lough with age falsification in July 2022, aimed at extending his service period. Official records indicate his birthdate as May 14, 1967, but he is alleged to have altered it to May 14, 1969, in violation of Public Service Regulations.
The police have stated that these offenses contravene Sections 97, 161, 366, and 158 of the Penal Code and are subject to legal penalties.
It is important to note that the accused officers have largely rejected the allegations, labeling them as baseless and vindictive. They claim the accusations stem from a complaint lodged by the Integrity Youth Alliance, led by Kelvin Adegbenga, which accused them of tampering with their service records.
This complaint led the IGP to issue formal misconduct inquiries on January 7, 2025.
In his written response dated January 16, 2025, AIG Owohunwa acknowledged an error in his APER Form for Senior Police Officers, which incorrectly recorded his birth year as 1970 instead of 1967. Nevertheless, he asserted that his official appointment date remained August 15, 1996.
Both Igwe and Lough refuted any wrongdoing, clarifying that the petitioner confused their records with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) program. This scheme permits eligible officers to be promoted, with the understanding that upon conversion to senior officers, they effectively resign from their previous appointments.
