Kayode Egbetokun has resigned from his position as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Tuesday.
The Presidency has confirmed the resignation. It said the former police boss resigned from office, citing family issues that require his undivided attention.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this saying, “The IGP resigned in a letter today, citing family issues which require his undivided attention.”
However, multiple Presidency sources told our correspondent that Egbetokun was asked to step down during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday evening.
“It was in that meeting he was asked to go,” a highly placed official in the Presidency stated on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Our correspondent observed the IGP’s official vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser with number plate NPF-01, parking at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa around 6:40 pm on Monday.
Egbetokun, dressed in his black uniform without his cap, alighted from the vehicle and turned back to ask for his notepad from an aide who briskly reached into the vehicle and handed it to him.
The IGP arrived at approximately the same time governors were arriving for an interfaith breaking of fast with the President, raising initial uncertainty about the purpose of his visit.
However, another source at the Villa confirmed that Egbetokun was specifically summoned that evening by the President.
“He was called in. It wasn’t a routine visit,” the source stated.
Security officials who confided in our correspondent said the IGP returned to the State House at about 8:00 pm as his vehicle was subjected to search by DSS operatives at the Villa.
Egbetokun, who was appointed IGP on June 19, 2023, has faced mounting criticism over the nation’s deteriorating security situation, particularly the wave of kidnappings, banditry, and terrorist attacks across multiple states.
Recent high-profile incidents include the abduction of nearly 300 schoolchildren from St. Mary’s boarding school in Niger State in November 2025, mass killings in Kwara State communities in February 2026, and persistent kidnappings along major highways.
The President, during Monday’s Iftar with governors, had pledged that the establishment of state police to combat insecurity would not be postponed, declaring that “security is the foundation of prosperity.”
“Without it, farms cannot flourish, businesses cannot grow, and families cannot sleep in peace. We will establish state police to curb insecurity,” Tinubu had stated at the event.
Before his appointment as IGP, Egbetokun served as Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as the 22nd Inspector-General of Police on June 19, 2023.
The Nigeria Police Council confirmed his substantive appointment on October 31 of the same year.
Upon his appointment, Egbetokun promised to “chase away” criminals in Nigeria.
“I will tell you that right now, I feel like a Tiger inside of me, ready to chase away all the criminals in Nigeria. And some other time, I feel like a lion in me, ready to devour all the internal enemies of Nigeria,” he said.
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He replaced Usman Baba, who was appointed as the Inspector General of Police by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.
Born on 4th September, 1964 from the Egbado South Local Government Area of Ogun State, Egbetokun enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet ASP (Course 16) on March 3, 1990.
The latter part of Egbetokun’s tenure was marked by controversy over his extended stay in office, which drew public criticism.
Under Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, Egbetokun, who was born on September 4, 1964, was expected to retire in September 2024 upon attaining the age of 60.
But his tenure extended beyond the mandatory retirement limits of 60 years of age or 35 years of service, prompting sustained criticism from civil society groups, among others.
Critics argued that the extension breached established police service regulations and weakened institutional discipline.
However, the police maintained at the time that the development did not amount to an extension but was a confirmation that he would complete the four-year tenure stated in his original letter of appointment.
In July 2024, the National Assembly passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill to allow a person appointed as Inspector-General of Police to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment.
President Tinubu had forwarded the bill to the House of Representatives and the Senate to amend the tenure of the IGP. Lawmakers in both chambers passed the bill at separate sittings.
Meanwhile, sources within the police hierarchy hinted that a successor may have been identified, although no official statement had been issued as of the time of filing this report.
One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that Tunji Disu had been contacted in connection with the position.
“He has been contacted, but we are all waiting for the official confirmation, which should come later in the day,” the source said.