Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court has fixed Thursday, September 25, 2025, for the arraignment of the officers on a 14-count charge related to conspiracy, forgery, and misconduct.
Those listed in the charge sheet include Idowu Owohunwa, retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police; Benneth Igwe and Ukachi Opara, both retired Commissioners of Police; Obo Ukam Obo, retired Deputy Commissioner of Police; and Simon Lough, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Court documents also referenced “others at large” linked to the alleged manipulation of official records.
According to the charges, Owohunwa allegedly doctored his age declaration in December 2024, claiming he was born on July 20, 1970, rather than his actual date of birth.
Igwe was accused of altering his birth year to 1968 instead of 1964, with further contradictions discovered in his enlistment papers, which variously showed 1988 and 1996 as entry dates.
Similarly, ACP Lough allegedly shifted his date of birth from May 14, 1967, to May 14, 1969 in July 2022, in violation of the Public Service Rules.
The offences, prosecutors said, are punishable under Sections 97, 161, 366 and 158 of the Penal Code.
The accused, however, dismissed the case as politically motivated, claiming it was instigated by a petition from the Integrity Youth Alliance, a civil society group led by Kelvin Adegbenga.
The group had accused the officers in January of manipulating service records to prolong their stay in uniform.
Following the petition, the IGP issued queries for serious misconduct on January 7, 2025. In his reply, Owohunwa admitted to a “mix-up” in his APER Form, which had mistakenly altered his birth year from 1967 to 1970, but insisted that his official appointment date of August 15, 1996, had never been changed.
Igwe and Lough also denied wrongdoing, arguing that the petitioner had confused their records with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) scheme, which allows for the upgrading of officers.
Despite their defence, police authorities maintained that the contradictions were weighty enough to warrant prosecution, stressing that the matter touches on integrity and adherence to public service regulations.
