In a move that has sparked outrage across Nigeria’s law enforcement and human rights circles, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the demotion of six detained officers who served as administrators of a WhatsApp group used to discuss and mobilize for a planned protest against poor police welfare and a controversial pension scheme. In a further escalation, the officer who shared the initial protest message has reportedly been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force with immediate effect.
SaharaReporters gathered from highly placed sources that the officers being punished include Inspector Emoruwa Olabode, a vocal figure attached to the Idanre Police Station in Ondo State, along with five others, who have been accused of instigating a protest scheduled for July 21, 2025, aimed at drawing national attention to decaying police welfare, meagre salaries, and the deepening pension crisis.
Emoruwa was apprehended on Friday, July 4, and initially kept in solitary confinement at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Akure, before being whisked to Abuja. He, alongside two other WhatsApp group administrators—Otamere Ewamade (aka “Hero”) and Fasoyin Ayodeji—have remained in detention for over two weeks without public disclosure of their whereabouts.
“These are officers raising legitimate concerns about their livelihoods and future, and the response of the leadership is repression, not reform,” a senior police source disclosed. “The IGP has ordered that the administrators be demoted and that the officer who shared the protest message be dismissed outright.”
The protest, originally perceived as a retirees-only demonstration, reportedly gained rapid support among serving officers—including senior ranks—after widespread grievances regarding unpaid allowances, inflation-eroded salaries, and fear of retirement into poverty.
The detained officers are now being tried for mutiny, according to a confirmation by Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Benjamin Nebolisa Okolo, during a meeting with human rights activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore. Sowore attempted to visit the detained officers with a legal team but was stonewalled at every turn.
“What we are witnessing is nothing short of institutional vendetta,” Sowore told SaharaReporters. “They are using ‘mutiny’ as a smokescreen to silence criticism and crush efforts to hold the system accountable.”
Sowore described the charges as draconian and politically motivated, a warning sign that internal dissent within the police force is being criminalized at a time when reform is most needed.
On Wednesday, Sowore and human rights lawyer A.K. Musa visited the Force Intelligence Department (FID) headquarters in Abuja after receiving a tip-off about the officers’ detention site. What they met was chilling—a facility plunged in darkness, guarded by officers who had clearly been instructed to obstruct all inquiries.
“At the gate, we were met with deliberate silence. No one was willing to give information. Then a Commissioner of Police showed up, signaled his subordinates to remain tight-lipped, and vanished into the night,” Sowore recounted.
Repeated attempts to reach Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Aina, who oversees the FID, yielded nothing but vague excuses and broken promises. “He claimed he had no power to intervene and failed to provide the DIG’s contact despite saying he would,” Sowore revealed.
The detainees are now confirmed to have been moved for an “orderly room trial,” a euphemism many believe is being used to mask ongoing rights violations.
Critics have also raised serious constitutional and ethical questions about IGP Egbetokun’s continued stay in office, insisting that the police chief has overstayed his statutory retirement period.
“This is the same IGP who should have bowed out gracefully but is instead using his position to intimidate officers fighting for justice,” said another source within the police force.
Observers say the decision to punish Emoruwa and his colleagues could ignite more dissent within the force, especially as calls for transparency in pension disbursement and welfare allocation grow louder.
Despite the clampdown, the planned #PoliceProtest on July 21 remains on course. Sowore has vowed to mobilize nationwide until justice is served and the detained officers are released.
“Our sources confirm the detained officers are not broken. They are courageous, focused, and ready to fight for a better system,” Sowore declared.
He added, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere—and that includes within the Nigeria Police Force.”
As discontent within the police system continues to simmer, the coming weeks may mark a defining chapter in Nigeria’s law enforcement history, testing the resilience of those pushing for reform—and the desperation of those resisting it.
PIONEER NEWS 