Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in command of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), is currently embroiled in a scandal involving suspected age-falsification.

According to reports from numerous media outlets, the renowned police detective earned his degree from the University of Maiduguri in Borno State 40 years ago.

As a direct entry student who entered the university in 1979 with A levels, he was said to be older than 24 when he earned his degree in 1982.

When they graduated from the University of Maiduguri 40 years ago, none of Kokumo’s coworkers indicated they were younger than 23. They questioned why the senior police officer was still in service.

The President Muhammadu Buhari-signed new Police Act’s Section 18(8) states that a police officer must retire at the earliest of age 60 or 35 years of public service.

“How the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in-charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, hasn’t retired from the Nigeria Police Force on the ground of age, still baffles many,” a source discuss.

“He came into the University with an A levels certificate, which meant an extra year over other regular students who came in through JAMB. And since he is still in the police force, the obvious conclusion to draw is that he is currently less than 60 years old.

“Kokumo is billed to retire next year from the Nigeria Police Force on the ground of years of service; not age. He joined the police in 1988, after acquiring a Master’s Degree in Sociology with a specialty in Criminology. His official age, however, is shrouded in secrecy.

“I’ll send you the order of proceedings for our convocation ceremony at the University of Maiduguri held on 29th January 1983. Professor Jibril Aminu was then the Vice Chancellor of the university at the time. On page 36 of the programme of the event, Kokumo’s name was listed among those who graduated with Second Class (Upper Division) from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

“Kokumo was admitted into the University of Maiduguri in 1972, which is 44-years-ago. Could he have gained admission into the university at the age of 16? Don’t forget he was admitted with an A levels certificate, which meant an extra year over other regular students who came in through JAMB.

“Many of us who graduated in 1982 are above 65 years old, not even 60. We were 18 years and over when we gained admission.”

Another source affirmed that given the senior police officer’s advanced age—he is over 60 years old—he should have retired from the Nigeria Police Force.

Although I don’t know his exact age, he must be older than 63. His college friends who joined the police force after graduation are older than 60. He graduated the same year as DIG Ntomchukwu and AIG Gimba, both of whom are since retired from the military.

Despite not joining the police at the same time as them, he did so in 1988 after receiving his Masters. He actually graduated forty years ago. No matter when you started working, the law states that you must retire at age 60 or after 35 years of service.

Following the retirement of DIG David Oyebanji Folawiyo, who had also joined the service in 1988 as a cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kokumo took over as the DIG for the South-West.

Find attach below the Convocation Proceeding of Maiduguri University as per the date of DIG Babatunde Kokumo graduation in 1983