Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba Usman, may soon be a guest at a Correctional Center as a court in Abuja has ordered his immediate arrest.
The National Industrial Court, which gave the order, said the IGP should be arrested and brought before the Court to say why he should not be in jail till he purges himself of contempt.
The Court is also unhappy that the IGP has been persistent in his disregard for court orders.
To join the IGP is the Force Secretary, AIG Hafeez Inuwa, who the Court noted had borrowed a leaf from the IGP on the disregard of its orders.
While issuing the orders, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi held that the IGP’s action was an affront to the 1999 constitution and a total disregard for the rule of law.
The Court had given the IGP May 2 to appear before it and purge himself of contempt of Court or be committed to prison in line with the provisions of the law, following a suit instituted by Four senior ranked police officers from courses 33, 34 and 35 who were compulsorily and unlawfully retired from the police.
The Court had also, in a judgment, nullified the premature retirement of the senior police officers numbering about 20 and ordered the Inspector General and the Police Service Commission to reinstate them immediately.
Despite the subsistence of the orders, the IGP and the Force secretary, who are the key defendants in the legal action, have refused to comply with the order.
Justice Oyewumi had, in an initial order issued in May 2023, ordered the Inspector general of police and the force secretary to appear before it, having flouted the order of the Court made on February 27, 2023, to appear before the Court, and show course why they should not be held in contempt for their flagrant disobedience to the decision of the Court even when their legal department had issued legal advice urging the IGP to comply with the decision of the Court.
The trial judge held that “It is in the light of all stated which are in sync with the record of this Court that I hold the Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba and the Force Secretary, AIG Hafeez Inuwa, for being in contempt of this Court, they are to be arrested and be produced before this Court for necessary action.
The Court adjourned Case to October 09, 2023.
Claimants in the suits are CSP Egwu Egong,
CSP Omeh Okexhukwu, CSP Paul Umoh,
SP Galadima Bello, who sued for themselves and as representing all members of Course 33, 34 and 35 of the Police Academy while the respondents are the Police Service Commission, Inspector General Of Police, and the Force Secretary.
I found this article to be both engaging and enlightening. The points made were compelling and well-supported. Let’s talk more about this. Click on my nickname for more engaging content!