Thursday, June 4, 2026

The Sun Nigeria

Smear campaign won’t stop police reforms -CASA

Police

The Civic Alliance for Security Accountability (CASA) has strongly condemned what it calls a coordinated campaign of calumny against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, urging Nigerians to disregard all unfounded attacks on his person and leadership.

In a statement released on Friday, May 30, 2025, the President of CASA, Charles Egbunike, described the attacks as part of a broader agenda to discredit not just the IGP, but also President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under whose administration Egbetokun was appointed.

“These campaigns are not only malicious but deliberately designed to create instability,” Egbunike said, adding that those behind them are not just attacking the IGP; they are using him as a tool to hit the President. This is because of the IGP’s long-standing association with President Tinubu, dating back to when he served as his Chief Security Officer during Tinubu’s tenure as Governor of Lagos State more than two decades ago.”

According to the group, the real masterminds behind the smear campaign are disgruntled elements who lost out following the IGP’s recent reforms aimed at sanitizing the system, especially his decision to implement the position of the law and the Police Service Commission on retirement age and service years.

These individuals, who are angry over the unalloyed support Egbetokun enjoys from the President and the members of the Nigeria Police Force, he said, are now collaborating with unscrupulous figures that have been paid to do a hatchet job.

“These individuals prospered under a corrupt system and are now resentful because the Inspector General has put an end to that era of impunity and unprofessional conduct. They are using faceless online platforms and questionable media outlets to spread lies and cast doubt on the IGP’s credibility.

“Very soon, we will start revealing the people behind this campaign, including a retired Senior Police officer who is unhappy about the way he left office. We will also expose those paying for online attacks meant to weaken the police and, by extension, the government. This is not just an attack on one man, it is an attempt to undermine national security. We will not let that happen,” Egbunike said.