Forcefully Retired Police Officers Demand Reinstatement

Some forcefully retired police officers have asked the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and the Force Secretary to reinstatement to service following an order of the National Industrial Court in April 2022.

The aggrieved officers in a statement signed by their cohort, Emmanuel Idris, claimed that they were forcefully retired from service before age 60 and less than 35 years in service.

They noted that they joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1996, 1999, and 2000, and are protesting the alleged failure of the IG to reinstate them to service despite a court order to the effect.

Recall that the National Industrial Court presided over by Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi, had on April 19, 2022, asked the IG, the Police Service Commission, and the Force Secretary to reinstate the officers who were forcefully retired from service.

Justice Oyewumi gave the verdict in suit No. NICN/ABJ/281/2021, filed by Messrs Egong Egong, Omeh Okechukwu, Paul Umoh, and Galadima Bello, before the court.

The officers through their counsel had approached the court seeking an order to nullify their retirement from service by the NPF and the PSC.

Their counsel, Godwin Okoro had asked the IG, the PSC, and the Force Secretary to show a cause why they should not be committed to prison for their refusal to obey a court order that reinstated the officers who were forcefully retired from service.

In a letter dated January 23, 2023, addressed to the IG, signed by the court registrar, Mrs Rufai Ahmed, the court warned Baba and other defendants against disobeying the court judgment or he would face the consequences which are imprisonment.

The letter 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.”

However, speaking further on behalf of the aggrieved ex-officers, Mr Idris in the statement said most of the members and graduates of Course 33, 34, and 35 of the Police Academy were affected by the disengagement from the service.

He explained that since the judgment was delivered, the IG and other defendants in the case were yet to obey the court order reinstating to service.

He said, “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, Abuja to challenge the action of the force against us and the court presided over by Justice Oyewumi Oyebiola gave an order that we should be reinstated but to our surprise, the police authority has not obeyed the court judgment up till today.

“It could be noted that the police took 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 authority had implemented the earlier judgments of the same court involving other police officers, but for inexplicable reasons, the authority refused bluntly to obey the judgment involving courses 33, 34 and 35.”