The Presidency has confirmed that Kayode Egbetokun has resigned as Inspector-General of Police, officially citing family obligations as the reason for his decision to step down.

 

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said that Egbetokun submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday, explaining that he needed to focus on family matters requiring his undivided attention.

 

However, multiple sources within the Presidency disclosed that the resignation followed a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Monday evening. According to one senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the IGP was asked to step down during the meeting.

 

“It was in that meeting he was asked to go,” the official revealed.

 

Eyewitness accounts indicate that Egbetokun arrived at the State House around 6:40 p.m. in his official Toyota Land Cruiser (number plate NPF-01), dressed in his black police uniform. He was seen retrieving his notepad from an aide before entering the Villa. At the time, several state governors were arriving for an interfaith Iftar with the President, initially creating uncertainty about the purpose of his visit.

 

A Villa source later confirmed that the IGP had been specifically summoned by the President. Security officials further disclosed that Egbetokun returned to the State House around 8:00 p.m., with his vehicle subjected to routine checks by Department of State Services (DSS) operatives.

 

Egbetokun, who was appointed IGP on June 19, 2023, faced mounting criticism over Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation, including persistent cases of kidnapping, banditry, and terrorist attacks.

 

Among the high-profile incidents during his tenure were the abduction of nearly 300 schoolchildren from St. Mary’s Boarding School in Niger State in November 2025 and recent mass killings in communities in Kwara State earlier this month.

 

During Monday’s Iftar, President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s commitment to addressing insecurity and renewed calls for the establishment of state police.

 

“Security is the foundation of prosperity. Without it, farms cannot flourish, businesses cannot grow, and families cannot sleep in peace,” the President stated.

 

Before his appointment as IGP, Egbetokun served as Deputy Inspector-General of Police overseeing the Force Criminal Investigation Department. He succeeded Usman Alkali Baba, whose tenure ended in September 2023 following an extension granted by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

His resignation marks another significant shift in Nigeria’s security leadership as the Federal Government seeks to recalibrate its response to mounting security challenges nationwide.