Some retired officers of the Nigerian police have asked the National Industrial Court (NIC) to commit the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, to prison for alleged disobedience to the order of the court which reinstated them back into Force.
The officers, in a statement issued Monday, alleged that they were forcefully retired from the Force despite the court judgment that ordered the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission (PSC) not to retire them when some of them have not reached the 60 years, while some were yet to spend 35 years in the police force.
The statement issued by one of the aggrieved officers, Mr. Emmanuel Idris, on behalf of other concerned officers, alleged that the IG was yet to obey the judgment to reinstate them into the Force.
Idris claimed that the court delivered the judgment in April 2022 and the defendants were yet to implement the judgment, which was delivered by Justice Oyewumi Oyebiola of the NICN.
According to the statement, “We are members and graduates of Course 33, 34 and 35 of the Police Academy; we were forcefully retired from the force when we were yet to attain the age of 60 years, and some were retired when they were yet to spend 35 years in the police force. We approached the National Industrial Court in Abuja to challenge the action of the Force against us and the court presided over by Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyebiola gave an order that we should be reinstated, but to our surprise, the police authorities have not obeyed the court judgment till today.
“It could be noted that the police took the action against us because of the issue on our date of first appointment. and the issue has been cleared by the court and there was no appeal on the court judgment. Incidentally, the police authorities had implemented the earlier judgments of the same court involved other police officers, but for inexplicable reasons, the authorities have refused bluntly to obey the judgment involving courses 33, 34 and 35.”
Also, the aggrieved police officers, through their counsel, Mr. Godwin Okoro, asked the IG, the PSC and Force Secretary to show cause why they should not be committed to prison for their refusal to obey the court order that reinstated the officers who were forcefully retired from the service when they have not spent 35 years in service or attained 60 years of age.
The Industrial Court presided by Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi had in suit No: NICN/ABJ/281/2021 filed by Messrs Egong Egwu Egong, Omeh Felix Okechukwu, Paul Obot Umoh and Galadima Bello urged the IG, the PSC and the Force Secretary of the Police to reinstate the officers who were forcefully retired from office.
The police officers had through their counsel approached the National Industrial Court seeking an order to nullify their retirement from the service by the Nigeria Police Force and the PSC.
The court consequently restrained the defendants — the IG, the PSC and the Force Secretary of the Nigeria Police — from retiring the officers compulsorily.
However, since April 19, 2022, when the judgment was delivered, the IG and other defendants were yet to obey the court order reinstating the officers of the courses who joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1996, 1999 and 2000.
In form 87 filed by the retired police officers, they asked the IG and other defendants to appear in person to show cause why an order for their committal should not be made for the disobedience to the order reinstating officers of courses 33, 34 and 35 who graduated from the police academy between 1996 and 2000.
In a copy of the letter addressed to IG Baba, signed by the court registrar, Mrs. Rufai Zainab Ahmed, and dated January 23, 2023, they warned the IG and othere defendants against disobeying the court judgment or face the consequences which is imprisonment.
The notice read: “Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in the certificate of the judgment of the court dated April 19, 2022, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”