The Nigeria Police Force has asked its personnel to pay what it tagged “2025 Police Officers’ Wives Association due”.
POWA is led by the wife of the Inspector General of Police, Elizabeth Egbetokun.
A signal obtained by SaharaReporters showed that officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) would pay N12,000 each while Inspectors and rank and file are expected to pay N6000 each.
They were ordered to pay the money in cash on or before 20th of February, 2025 unfailingly.
“COMPOL directs that all officers and men attached are to pay 2025 POWA DUE of N12,000 for OFFICERS and N6,000 for INSPECTORS AND RANK AND FILE respectively, on or before THURSDAY 20/02/2025 unfailingly. Officers are to report to S/O/ADMIN OFFICE for payment,” the signal read.
Nigeria’s current police strength is just over 380,000 personnel.
However, some officers have kicked against the payment, describing it as extortion and a means to enrich the IGP’s wife.
“If the money is lawful, they should remove it from our salaries. They are asking my rank upward to pay N12,000 while Inspector down to Constable will pay N6000 nationwide. That’s over N3billion in total,” an officer told SaharaReporters.
“There’s a mandatory POWA fee that were forced on all police officers now and It’s an illegal due to extort us,” an Inspector added.
Calls put across to Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, were not picked nor returned.
The IGP Egbetokun has been in a runny battle with senior police officers due for retirement, asking them to leave the force, although he also is due for retirement since 2024.
Recall that a mutiny was brewing within the Nigeria Police Force, as over 200 senior officers were refusing to retire despite being found to have falsified their birth records.
It was learnt that some of the officers had been serving for up to 44 years and that the development had led to tensions between Egbetokun and the Deputy Inspector General of the Federal Investigation Department, Dasuki Galandanchi.
Galandanchi is seeking a two-year extension, citing the precedent set by Egbetokun, who was granted an extension despite being due for retirement last year.
Galandanchi is set to retire next month, but SaharaReporters learnt that the police IG Egbetokun was not keen on having Galandanchi around due to concerns about his personal conduct and behaviour. He has been described as having a reckless lifestyle and a larger-than-life demeanour.
“Galandanchi is stating that if he must retire, Egbetokun must also retire,” one of the sources privy to happenings in the Force said.
“He is at war with Egbetokun over the issue and has requested for two-year extension.”
On July 23, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that the Nigerian Senate had passed a controversial amendment bill to extend Egbetokun’s tenure beyond September.
The Nigerian Senate passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 to amend the Police Act of 2020.
President Bola Tinubu had sent the Police Act Amendment Bill to the House of Representatives, proposing changes to the tenure of the IGP.
SaharaReporters reported on Friday, January 31, 2025 that the PSC had approved the immediate retirement of senior police officers who were over 60 years old or had served for 35 years.
The PSC had approved the retirement of the senior officers at its first extraordinary meeting.