Egbetokun removal as IGP followed disagreements with President Tinubu over VIP police withdrawal and state policing reforms

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removed former Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, from office following disagreements over key security reforms, including the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP protection duties and the proposed establishment of state police, Presidency sources have disclosed.

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Multiple senior officials within the Presidency and the Nigeria Police Force confirmed that the Egbetokun removal as IGP followed a meeting at the Presidential Villa earlier in the week, during which the former police chief was informed that he would have to step down.

Although Egbetokun cited family reasons in his resignation letter submitted on Tuesday, insiders said the decision resulted from accumulated tensions between the President and the former police boss over policy implementation and internal leadership concerns.

One Presidency source disclosed that President Tinubu summoned Egbetokun on Monday evening and communicated the decision directly, despite the former IGP’s request to complete his statutory four-year tenure expected to run until October 2027 under the amended Police Act.

According to officials familiar with the development, the immediate trigger centred on Egbetokun’s handling of a November 23, 2025 presidential directive ordering the withdrawal of more than 11,000 police officers attached to Very Important Personalities for redeployment to communities battling kidnapping, banditry and terrorism.

Presidency insiders alleged that the former IGP resisted the directive during a security chiefs’ meeting, arguing that business leaders and corporate executives required continued police protection.

The President reportedly rejected the position, maintaining that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps could adequately assume such responsibilities while police personnel focused on frontline security operations.

Sources further claimed that the VIP deployment arrangement generated substantial annual revenue within the police system, estimated at over ₦300 billion through payments made by private individuals and organisations for security coverage.

Officials said the withdrawal order disrupted entrenched financial interests within sections of the police establishment, leading to partial compliance and attempts by some officers to retain VIP assignments through unofficial arrangements.

A second major grievance, according to sources, involved Egbetokun’s alleged opposition to the administration’s push for state policing, a flagship security reform currently undergoing constitutional amendment at the National Assembly.

One official stated that the former IGP presented a memorandum opposing state police during a public hearing, a move interpreted within government circles as open resistance to presidential policy direction.

President Tinubu had reiterated his commitment to establishing state police during recent engagements with state governors, describing the reform as essential to restoring safety for farmers, businesses and communities nationwide.

Presidency sources also cited concerns over what they described as vindictive conduct toward senior colleagues, particularly Assistant Inspector General Olatunji Disu, who has since been appointed Acting Inspector General of Police.

Both officers previously served under Tinubu during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, a professional history officials said heightened presidential concern over internal divisions within the police leadership.

A source familiar with the transition process disclosed that the Nigeria Police Council is expected to meet next week to consider Disu’s confirmation before the President forwards his nomination to the Senate in accordance with the Police Act 2020.

Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as the 22nd Inspector General of Police on June 19, 2023, succeeding Usman Alkali Baba. Legislative amendments in 2024 later granted serving IGPs a fixed four-year tenure irrespective of age or years in service.

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The leadership transition marks a decisive moment in the administration’s broader security restructuring efforts as authorities intensify reforms aimed at confronting rising insecurity across the country.