Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Simon Lough, SAN, the first police officer in Nigeria to be elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has demanded an immediate retraction and apology from the Integrity Youth Alliance, Trojan Insight News, and Sahara Reporters Media Group over what he describes as “false, defamatory, and malicious” publications linking him to an age falsification scandal within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

In a strongly worded letter dated January 24, 2025, addressed to the media organizations and the civic group, DCP Lough’s legal representatives, Adeleke O. Agbola, SAN, FCArb, and Obiora Okenchi, Esq., outlined the damages caused by the publications and demanded corrective actions to restore their client’s reputation.

The controversy stems from a petition dated January 6, 2025, authored by the Integrity Youth Alliance and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun. The petition listed DCP Simon Lough, SAN, alongside six other senior police officers, accusing them of engaging in the “unethical practice of backdating their history records” to delay their retirement.

The petition, which was widely circulated by Sahara Reporters and Trojan Insight News, alleged that DCP Lough was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on January 8, 1987, and should have retired on January 8, 2022, after 35 years of service. However, DCP Lough’s legal team has refuted these claims, stating that he was born on May 14, 1969, and joined the police as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) on May 1, 2000.

In the letter, DCP Lough’s lawyers emphasized that their client was never enlisted in 1987 and could not have retired in 2022, as alleged. They described the publications as “reckless, malicious, and defamatory,” noting that the media organizations failed to seek his side of the story before publishing the allegations, thereby violating the ethical principle of news balancing.

The lawyers stated that the publications portrayed DCP Lough in a negative light, suggesting that he is:

  1. A dishonest legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria lacking integrity.
  2. A morally bankrupt lawyer and public officer devoid of transparency and accountability.
  3. An unscrupulous officer who betrays his oath of office.
  4. A fraudulent and lawless individual who manipulates the system for personal gain.

DCP Lough’s legal team has threatened to institute a lawsuit against the media organizations and the Integrity Youth Alliance if the following demands are not met by February 15, 2025:

  1. Retraction: A retraction of the defamatory statements published in three national newspapers with wide circulation in Nigeria.
  2. Apology: An unreserved apology to DCP Lough, published conspicuously in three national newspapers.
  3. Undertaking: A written undertaking to refrain from further similar publications against DCP Lough.
  4. Damages: Payment of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as damages for the libelous publications.
  5. Legal Fees: Payment of N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) as legal fees for prosecuting the suit.

DCP Lough’s legal team expressed openness to an amicable settlement if the demands are met within the stipulated timeframe. They warned that failure to comply would result in legal action to seek redress for the harm caused to their client’s reputation.

The letter stressed the considerable damage caused by the publications, noting that DCP Lough has been “completely disorientated and traumatized” by the allegations. As a renowned legal practitioner and the first police officer to attain the rank of SAN, DCP Lough has built a reputation for integrity and excellence over the years. The defamatory statements, according to his lawyers, have undermined his standing and subjected him to public ridicule.

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