The Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday, sentenced the Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, who delivered the judgement said the order followed a suit filed by a former police officer, Patrick Okoli who claimed he was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigeria Police Force.
The IGP was sentenced following a suit that was filed by a police officer, Patrick Okoli, who was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigerian Police Force.
The Police Service Commission (PSC) in a letter dated October 13, 2004, directed the then-IGP to reinstate the applicant and issue a recommendation for promotion in accordance with the decision of the court.
Consequently, Okoli instituted a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/637/2009 at the Abuja federal high court seeking an order of mandamus to compel the enforcement of the order of the Bauchi state high court and the directives of the PSC.
The Abuja federal high court delivered its judgment in favour of the applicant on October 21, 2011.
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The office of the IGP appealed the federal high court judgment but the appeal was dismissed.
However, Justice Olajuwon ordered the payment of N10 million to the applicant, being special and general damages for the unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional denial of his (Patrick’s) rights and privileges as a Senior Officer of the Nigeria Police Force from 1993 till date.
The court held that the police chief should be committed to prison and detained in custody for a period of three months, or until his office obeys an order made by the court since October 21, 2011.
Olajuwon said, “If at the end of the three months, the contemnor remains recalcitrant and still refuses to purge his contempt, he shall be committed for another period and until he purges his contempt.”
The Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Tuesday said that the police would soon respond to the verdict.
He said, “We will respond soon. It’s a matter between 1993 and 2011, when the incumbent IGP, Usman Baba, was not yet in office.”