The Presidency has confirmed the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun as Inspector General of Police, citing what officials described as “family issues” requiring his undivided attention.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga disclosed that the former police chief tendered his resignation in a letter on Monday.
“The IGP resigned in a letter today, citing family issues which require his undivided attention,” Onanuga said.
But multiple Presidency sources say the story did not end there.
Summoned to the Villa
According to senior officials, Egbetokun was called to a private meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday evening, where he was asked to step down.
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“It was in that meeting he was asked to go,” a highly placed source revealed.
Eyewitnesses saw the IGP’s official vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser with plate number NPF 01, pull into the Villa forecourt around 6 40 pm. Dressed in full black uniform but without his cap, Egbetokun briefly turned back to retrieve a notepad from an aide before heading inside.
His arrival coincided with governors attending an interfaith breaking of fast with the President, initially raising speculation that he was part of the gathering.
Another source, however, insisted the visit was anything but routine.
“He was called in. It wasn’t a routine visit.”
Security insiders further disclosed that Egbetokun returned to the State House around 8 00 pm, with his vehicle reportedly searched by DSS operatives.
Mounting Pressure Over Security
Egbetokun, appointed on June 19, 2023, had come under increasing criticism over Nigeria’s worsening security climate, marked by persistent kidnappings, banditry and terrorist attacks across several states.
Before becoming IGP, he served as Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department.
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He succeeded Usman Alkali Baba, whose tenure ended in September 2023 following an extension granted by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Official Line vs Villa Whispers
While the official explanation centres on personal and family reasons, the circumstances surrounding Monday’s meeting at Aso Rock are likely to fuel debate over whether the resignation was voluntary or compelled.
Either way, the sudden exit of the nation’s top cop marks a major shift in Nigeria’s security leadership at a time when public anxiety over safety remains high.
