Tensions Flare In NASS As IGP Egbetokun Presents 2025 Budget
Tensions Flare in National Assembly Over Nigeria Police Budget Defence
A heated confrontation broke out in the National Assembly on Thursday during the 2025 budget defence session as the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, presented the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) budget.
The session took a dramatic turn when two lawmakers raised concerns that the IGP’s presentation did not correspond with the documents previously provided to them. Efforts by the committee chairman to allow the IGP to proceed while addressing the discrepancies were met with fierce opposition, resulting in a loud and contentious shouting match. The situation escalated further when a senator, expressing dissatisfaction, walked out of the session in protest.
After order was eventually restored, the IGP resumed his presentation. He used the opportunity to reiterate his long-standing advocacy for the removal of the NPF from the restrictive envelope budget system. According to Egbetokun, the current system severely undermines the police force’s capacity to tackle pressing national security challenges effectively.
His remarks sparked mixed reactions among the lawmakers. Senator Abdul Ningi dismissed the envelope system, asserting, “The envelope budget is neither a legal entity nor has it been ratified by the National Assembly. It should therefore remain a normative guideline, not a binding framework.”
Other lawmakers expressed support for revisiting the police budgeting system. They proposed transitioning to a more flexible, needs-based funding model to better equip the NPF in addressing the nation’s security demands.
