Maxwell Opara, a human rights lawyer based in Abuja, on Tuesday withdrew a legal action challenging the tenure extension of former Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Kayode Egbetokun, after the ex-police chief resigned.
Opara informed Justice Umar Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja that the suit had become moot following Egbetokun’s exit from office.
The originating summons, filed on September 10, 2024, had listed Egbetokun, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigeria Police Council, the President of Nigeria, and the Federal Civil Service Commission as first to fifth defendants, respectively.
In the suit, Opara had sought declarations that the former I-G should have retired at 60 years of age or after 35 years of pensionable service, whichever came first, in line with the Public Service Rules, 2023. He also sought injunctions to prevent Egbetokun from continuing in office after the expiry of his tenure and from parading himself as the country’s police chief.
At Tuesday’s court session, Opara told the judge: “We are withdrawing this suit in view of the fact that the fourth defendant, acting on the advice of the third defendant, has ensured that the first defendant has gone on retirement, which was our primary relief. The matter has therefore become academic.”
He added that while he would have sought an order to prevent a recurrence of such a situation, the Court of Appeal had previously described similar applications as “academic exercises.”
Justice Mohammed subsequently struck out the suit.
Egbetokun had resigned as I-G on February 24, citing family considerations. He was appointed in June 2023 for a four-year term set to end in June 2027 under the amended Police Act.
Following his resignation, President Bola Tinubu, through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, formally accepted the exit. Mr Tunji Disu has since been appointed acting I-G, with the appointment unanimously endorsed by the Nigeria Police Council on Monday.
