The Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police for Zone 12, Bauchi State, Idowu Owohunwa, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Simon Lough, have refused to retire from the force despite being implicated in an age falsification scandal.
Sources at the Force Headquarters in Abuja revealed that both officers have remained in their positions and have not stepped down as required.
Report revealed that at least seven Deputy Inspectors General retired from the Nigerian police after a failed bid to seek for an extension.
SaharaReporters reported that Lough, Head of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Legal Unit, appeared in court for the police despite an official directive for his retirement following his implication in an age falsification scandal.
Lough was among several officers ordered to retire amid allegations of age falsification within the Nigeria Police Force.
The scandal involves findings that that many senior officers manipulated their records to extend their service beyond the legal limit of 35 years or the age of 60.
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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had ordered the posting and redeployment of personnel to take over from officers implicated in forgery, age falsification, and circumventing service regulations.
SaharaReporters had earlier published a list of about 467 Nigerian police officers found to have falsified their age and bypassed service regulations. They include Simon Lough, SAN, Benneth Igweh and many others.
While hundreds of the police officers were implicated in the scandal involving forgery, age falsification, and bypassing service regulations, some were said to have quietly retired.
Inspector General of Police, Egbetokun, ordered that the senior police officers who refused to retire should appear before a disciplinary committee.
According to the records, Simon Lough should have retired on January 8, 2022, based on his date of enlistment. However, he remains in active service despite the retirement directive.
However, Lough had continued to represent the Nigerian police in court as the Head of the NPF Legal Unit.
His continued service was confirmed on Tuesday, February 25 and Wednesday, February 26 at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja during a case involving a $4,666,234.28 debt linked to the Chief Executive Officer of Lionstone Offshore Services Limited, Amaechi Ndili, his wife, Njide Chizoba Ndili, and Hercules Offshore Nigeria Limited.
Despite the retirement order over the scandal, Lough still appeared as the prosecution counsel representing the Nigerian police in his capacity as Head of the NPF Legal Unit.
The case is however being heard by Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe.
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