Reforms or Resistance? Why Egbetokun Faced Fierce Media Attacks – Security Expert Reveals
In Nigeria’s often turbulent policing landscape, reform efforts can sometimes provoke the strongest resistance from within and outside the system.
A security analyst now says the persistent media attacks that trailed the leadership of former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, were largely a backlash against reforms aimed at sanitising the Nigeria Police Force.
The analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that sustained criticisms and negative reports, particularly by the online platform Sahara Reporters, were fuelled by entrenched interests uncomfortable with the institutional changes introduced during Egbetokun’s tenure.
According to the analyst, one of the major reforms targeted fraudulent promotion practices within the police hierarchy. The former police chief reportedly ordered investigations that exposed officers involved in the scheme.
Those implicated, the analyst said, were subsequently reported to the Police Service Commission, which took disciplinary action that led to their removal from the Force.
Another controversy during the period involved a group of cadet force entrants who attempted to remain in service beyond their statutory years, relying on a judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
However, the analyst claimed that investigations later revealed the court decision had been influenced by a signal purportedly issued from the Office of the Force Secretary and transmitted through the Sokoto State Police Command.
“Our findings confirmed that no such signal originated from the Office of the Force Secretary.
Even the version said to have been relayed through the Sokoto Command and tendered in court by the group was also discovered to be fabricated,” the analyst stated.
The investigation findings were reportedly forwarded to the Police Service Commission, which also took disciplinary action against officers connected with the alleged fabrication.
The security expert further alleged that some wealthy individuals affected by the disciplinary measures sponsored media campaigns aimed at discrediting the former police chief.
“It was essentially a situation of corruption fighting back,” the analyst said.
The analyst also claimed that opposition to amendments to the Nigeria Police Act, which enabled Egbetokun to remain in office for a four-year tenure, contributed to the attacks.
According to the source, some senior officers who believed they could have emerged as Inspector-General if his tenure had ended earlier were part of the opposition.
In addition, the analyst alleged that elements linked to the Take It Back Movement also pushed negative narratives against the police leadership, particularly during demonstrations organised around the End Bad Governance protests.
The group, the analyst claimed, had threatened to mobilise mass protests across the country, even suggesting the demonstrations would eclipse the scale of the #EndSARS protests and referencing the 2024 protests in Kenya.
Despite the controversies, the analyst said Egbetokun remained focused on enforcing discipline and strengthening professionalism within the Nigeria Police Force.
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