By Sar Terver
In recent weeks, a fresh wave of public criticism has swept across social media, spotlighting the leadership of Nigeria’s top cop. At the centre of this growing storm is the Inspector General of Police, whose extended tenure and alleged involvement in suppressing officers’ protests have stirred both public outrage and institutional discomfort.
Among those raising the alarm is Omoyele Sowore, a well-known human rights activist and publisher, who has used his platform to question not just the legality of the IGP’s continued stay in office but the moral grounds on which it rests.
According to Sowore and others, the extension of the Inspector General’s retirement age by President Bola Tinubu may have violated principles of fairness and hierarchy within the Nigeria Police Force.
The president’s decision, though legal under certain discretionary powers, has not gone down well in various quarters, particularly among officers affected by the shake-up.
Critics argue that while the IGP was spared from statutory retirement, others, some of whom were reportedly senior or on equal footing, were quietly eased out, raising allegations of selective favoritism.
This perceived imbalance has opened old wounds within the force, where morale has already been severely tested by years of poor welfare, substandard housing, and inadequate retirement benefits.
For many rank-and-file officers, the IGP’s extension is symbolic of a broader system that rewards the few while ignoring the many.
Observers say the controversy highlights a lingering sense of injustice within the force, a sentiment worsened by recent events involving officers protesting their retirement conditions.
In a rare show of dissent, some police personnel reportedly staged protests against what they called “unlivable pensions.” Their reward, according to activists, was detention on the orders of the very institution they served.
The Nigerian Police Force has since struggled to offer a convincing explanation for the arrests, dodging inquiries and offering vague statements that have only deepened public suspicion.
Critics say it paints a growing trend of silencing internal dissent rather than addressing the root causes of discontent.
For those who have followed Nigeria’s security challenges over the years, the latest fracas is hardly surprising.
The image of police officers risking their lives daily, only to return to crumbling barracks and end their careers with paltry pensions, has become an all-too-familiar story. Despite reform pledges, change has remained elusive and imaginary.
What is more worrying, according to policy analysts, is that the same cycle of neglect and institutional indolence continues to play out even under a new administration.
“It’s like the government has grown deaf to the cries of its own security agents,” one civil society advocate said. “You can’t ask people to secure the country and then treat them like disposable tools.”
The role of the National Assembly in all of this has also come under scrutiny. As the body responsible for enacting and updating laws, many wonder why the legislature appears to be sitting idly while institutional frameworks like pension schemes fail the very people they are meant to protect.
Some point fingers at the Pension Commission (PENCOM), which manages retirement funds for public servants. Detractors say its policies are skewed against police officers, particularly those in the lower ranks who make up the vast majority of the force.
There are even calls for the agency to be scrapped entirely or reformed to align more closely with the realities of service in a high-risk profession like policing.
While the Inspector General’s supporters defend the extension of his tenure as a means of ensuring continuity, critics insist the move was tainted by politics and a disregard for equity.
“You can’t lead a force that’s deeply demoralized and expect effectiveness,” a former police officer commented anonymously. “When your subordinates feel betrayed, discipline and duty take a back seat”.
Sowore’s campaign is gaining traction partly because it taps into a long-standing frustration within the force and the general public.
His Facebook page has become a hub for firsthand testimonies, leaked documents, and searing commentary that paints a picture of internal decay within the police system.
For many, the question is not just whether the IGP should remain in office, but what his tenure represents—an institution in crisis, adrift between competing political interests and institutional neglect.
“This is not just about one man”, another activist said. “It’s about how we treat our security agents and whether they can trust the system they serve’.
Despite the noise, the federal government has remained largely silent, choosing not to respond to the growing discontent beyond official platitudes. Meanwhile, disillusioned officers continue to serve on the frontlines, unsure of what awaits them at retirement.
Even now, some of the detained officers remain in custody, their fates hanging in the balance. Rights groups have condemned the detentions as unlawful and called for their immediate release, but so far, no significant action has been taken.
The silence is telling. In a country already grappling with insecurity on multiple fronts, the idea that the police force is at war with itself is unsettling. Without trust, loyalty, and fairness, how can it function effectively?
At its core, this moment in Nigeria’s security discourse is a test of leadership—not just of the IGP, but of the institutions that oversee policing, lawmaking, and justice delivery.
Will they rise to the occasion, or let the weight of institutional decay continue to crush the spirit of those sworn to protect?
Until that question is answered, the conversation will not die down. People like Sowore will continue to raise their voices. Officers will continue to whisper in frustration.
The rest of Nigeria will watch, hoping that this time, someone listens. This is because ultimately, no nation can rise above the strength or the weakness of the institutions charged with its protection.
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