The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali, and the Force Secretary, AIG Hafeez Inuwa, have been ordered to be arrested by the National Industrial Court in Abuja. This action was taken due to their failure to comply with a court order, which constitutes contempt.
Previously, the court had instructed the IG to reinstate several police officers who had been forcefully retired by the force. These officers were graduates of Courses 33, 34, and 35 of the police academy. However, it appears that the IG did not adhere to the court’s order.
The affected officers, feeling aggrieved, approached the court seeking the nullification of their compulsory retirement by the IG. In response, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi, presiding over the case, ordered the IG, the Police Service Commission, and the Force Secretary to reinstate the retired officers.
Despite the court’s judgment delivered on April 19, 2022, the IGP and other defendants have failed to comply with the court order.
In a recent order issued on June 8, 2023, Justice Oyewumi criticized the IG for his refusal to obey the court despite advice from relevant stakeholders within the police force.
The court order states, “This court’s records confirm that a judgment was delivered in this case on 19/4/2022, ordering the immediate reinstatement of the judgment creditors/applicants. It is also on record that the Police Service Commission, the statutory body responsible for appointing, promoting, and disciplining the judgment creditors/applicants, had instructed the Inspector General of Police to comply with the court’s judgment.”
Justice Oyewumi expressed concern about the IG’s apparent difficulty or unwillingness to obey a straightforward court order, questioning the example he was setting for his officers and the Nigerian Police Force as a whole.
Consequently, the court found the Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba and the Force Secretary, AIG Hafeez Inuwa, in contempt and ordered their arrest for necessary action.
The case has been adjourned until October 9, 2023.
