Age Falsification Trial Stalls as IGP Fails to Bring Retired Police Chiefs to Court
The trial of five retired senior police officers accused of age falsification and forgery has stalled following the failure of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to produce the defendants in court for arraignment.
The retired officers AIG Idowu Owohunwa (Rtd), CP Benneth Igweh (Rtd), CP Ukachi Peter Opara (Rtd), DCP Obo Ukam Obo (Rtd), and ACP Simon A. Lough SAN (Rtd) – face a 14-count charge including conspiracy, forgery, falsification of age, alteration of records, and cheating to extend their service years in the Nigeria Police Force.
The case is before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja.
The arraignment, initially scheduled in previous sessions, was stalled as the defendants failed to appear in court.
The prosecution told the court that the charges were served on the accused through their residential addresses and soft copies via WhatsApp. However, the defence insisted that proper personal service, as required by law, had not been completed.
Justice Halilu ordered the IGP to take all necessary steps to produce the retired officers for their arraignment and warned that further delays would not be entertained.
The matter has been adjourned to November 17, 2025.
The case, alleging manipulation of service records in violation of the Penal Code and Public Service Rules, remains one of the most closely watched anti-corruption trials involving senior police retirees.
