A National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the arrest of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Baba, and the Force Secretary, AIG Hafeez Inuwa, for disobeying the tribunal order, which was regarded as contempt.
The court had earlier ordered the IG to reinstate some police officers, who are graduates of Courses 33, 34, and 35 of the police academy and were said to have been forcefully retired by the force, but the court order was allegedly not obeyed by the IG.
The aggrieved officers approached thet tribunal and sought an order to nullify their compulsory retirement from the service by the IG. The tribunal, presided over by Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi, then ordered that the IG, the Police Service Commission, and the Force Secretary of the Police reinstate the forcefully retired officers.
However, since April 19, 2022, when the judgement was delivered, the IGP and other defendants have yet to obey the court order.
In a recent order given by the court on June 8, 2023, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, Justice Oyewumi berated the IG for the latter’s refusal to obey the court despite advice from the relevant stakeholders in the police force.
The court order read, “It is on record of this court that the court delivered a judgement in this case on April 19, 2022, and ordered that the judgement creditors and applicants should be reinstated forthwith. It is also on record in this tribunal that the Police Service Commission, the statutory body that is vested with the power to appoint, promote, and discipline the judgement creditors and applicants, ordered the Inspector General of Police to comply with the judgement of this tribunal.
“It is equally noteworthy that the CP, Legal, and the Head of Department of the Nigerian Police Force had also issued legal advice urging the Inspector General of Police to comply with the order of this tribunal via a letter dated July 27, 2022, and the Inspector General of Police received it on July 27, 2022, yet he has refused to obey or comply with the judgement of this court.
“This is an officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who swore on oath to uphold the rule of law, the same law he has now failed to obey or refused to obey. It is also important to state that this court has given ample opportunities to him and the Force Secretary to appear before this tribunal and show cause why they are not to be held in contempt of this tribunal. The record of the court evinces that they have both been served the enrolment order of this tribunal several times, yet they both deem it fit to flout the order of this tribunal and desecrate this hallowed chamber and temple of justice.
“Justice is not only for the affluent; it is indeed for the poor and vulnerable as well.” I pause to say that I wonder what type of head of an enforcement agency like the police, the Inspector General of Police, is and if he finds it so difficult or so difficult that it seems for him to obey a simple tribunal order. I also wonder what type of example he is setting for his officers if he, as the head of the Nigerian Police Force, has chosen or elected to flagrantly take the law into his own hands, as advised by the Police Service Commission and his own officer, the CP, Legal, to comply. This, I must say, is preposterous and appalling.
“It is in the light of all the stated facts, 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 tribunal; they are to be arrested and be produced before this court for necessary action.”
The court adjourned the case until October 9, 2023.
