Youth group slams ‘fabricated’ report, defends IGP against fraud claims

The Integrity Youth Alliance (IYA) has launched a fierce counter-offensive against a news report alleging the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, is embroiled in a multi-million dollar fraud scandal and a frantic digital cover-up, branding the story as a cocktail of “conjecture” and outright fabrication.

The group’s statement, issued Friday, directly challenges a publication by SaharaReporters which claimed IGP Egbetokun hired external tech experts to scrub online links connecting him to a $2.5 million fraud case involving a Nigerian socialite.

“The report is not only false and misleading but a deliberate attempt to malign the reputation of the IGP and undermine the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force,” said Danjuma Lamido, IYA’s spokesperson. He accused the outlet of relying on unnamed, shadowy sources to peddle what he termed “a work of fiction.”

In a punchy, point-by-point rebuttal, the alliance dismantled the report’s key assertions:

On “Criminal Links” & Office Visits: The IYA drew a sharp line between official protocol and criminal conspiracy. “Routine visits and photo opportunities at the office of the Inspector-General of Police should not be twisted into claims of personal relationships or criminal complicity,” Lamido stated, insisting the IGP has no personal or professional ties to the named socialite. They dared the publishers to “provide verifiable evidence of any alleged financial transactions.”

On “Emergency Digital Clean-Up”: The group flatly denied the existence of any panic-driven online purge. “The allegation is unfounded,” the statement read, stressing that the Police Force operates its own professional social media unit and “did not engage external consultants for such purposes.”

On “Turmoil” at Force Headquarters: The IYA dismissed notions of internal crisis, emergency IT meetings, or an IGP cutting trips short. They affirmed Egbetokun’s Lagos engagement proceeded as scheduled and his return to Abuja was routine. “There is no internal crisis,” the statement insisted, adding that any ICT matters are handled through normal command channels.

On “Unlawful Surveillance”: Pushing back against claims of snooping on officers’ private communications, the alliance stated any monitoring by the Force is “done strictly within the confines of the law and for legitimate criminal investigations.”

On “Imminent Purge”: The report’s claims of forced retirements and strategic postings to quell disarray were also rejected. The IYA clarified that the authority to retire senior officers rests solely with the Police Service Commission and “there is no plan to retire any senior officer.”

The IYA concluded by urging the public to completely disregard the “baseless report” and calling on media organisations to anchor their journalism on facts and verifiable evidence.

The forceful denial sets the stage for a contentious back-and-forth, with the police leadership seeking to publicly quarantine the scandal allegations as the work of irresponsible reporting.

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