The Presidency has confirmed the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun as Inspector-General of Police (IGP), stating that he stepped down to address pressing family matters requiring his undivided attention.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the former police chief tendered his resignation in a letter on Tuesday, citing personal reasons.
However, multiple sources within the Presidency revealed that Egbetokun was asked to step down during a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday evening.
“It was in that meeting he was asked to go,” a highly placed Presidency official said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
According to reports by Punch Online, Egbetokun’s official vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser bearing the number plate NPF-01, was sighted at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa at about 6:40 pm on Monday.
Dressed in his black uniform without a cap, the IGP reportedly alighted from the vehicle and requested his notepad from an aide before proceeding into the complex.
His arrival coincided with that of several governors attending an interfaith Iftar with the President, initially creating uncertainty over the purpose of his visit.
However, another Villa source confirmed that Egbetokun had been specifically summoned.
“He was called in. It wasn’t a routine visit,” the source said.
Security officials further disclosed that the IGP returned to the State House around 8:00 pm, with his vehicle subjected to a routine search by operatives of the Department of State Services.
Appointed on 19 June 2023, Egbetokun’s tenure was marked by mounting criticism over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, including rising cases of kidnapping, banditry, and terrorist attacks across several states.
Among recent high-profile incidents were the abduction of nearly 300 schoolchildren from St. Mary’s Boarding School in Niger State in November 2025, mass killings in communities in Kwara State in February 2026, and persistent kidnappings along major highways nationwide.
During Monday’s Iftar with governors, President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s commitment to establishing state police to tackle insecurity, stressing that “security is the foundation of prosperity.”
“Without it, farms cannot flourish, businesses cannot grow, and families cannot sleep in peace.
“We will establish state police to curb insecurity,” the President stated.
Before his appointment as IGP, Egbetokun served as Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department.
He succeeded Usman Alkali Baba, whose tenure expired in September 2023 following an extension granted by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
