By: Hakeem Gbadamosi – Akure
Some Police officers who were challenging forceful retirement but reinstated by the National Industrial Court (NIC), have alleged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, of playing double-standard following the refusal of the Police authorities to implement the judgment.
This was contained in a statement issued by the concerned officers and signed by Emmanuel Idris on behalf of others, saying the NPF had reinstated some affected officers who had similar cases into the Police because they were loyalists of the IGP.
He stated that the NPF has partly implemented the judgement for some officers leaving others to their fate, stating that some of those reinstated are now Commissioner in one of the state commands.
The aggrieved ex-cops who were members of Course 33, 34 and 35 of the Police Academy, were said to have been forcefully retired from the police service before 35 years in service or 60 years of age.
They challenged the action of the police at the industrial court and got judgment in April 2022 but the defendants – the IGP, the Police Service Commission and the Secretary of the Police Force, allegedly refused to enforce the judgment.
The retired officers later sought a committal order of the court to send the Inspector General of Police to prison for disobeying the court. But the Force has described the call for the imprisonment of the IGP, by the retired officers, as baseless and mischievous.
The statement titled ‘RE : Non-implementation of court judgement in suit no. NICN/ABJ/281/2021, dated 19th April, 2022, by Inspector General of Police.’
The statement read, “We, the retired police officers reported that the IGP Baba Usman has unexplainably refused to implement the court judgement from a court of competent jurisdiction, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/281/2021, dated 19th April,2022, which was delivered in our favour. We were members of the Cadet Inspectors Force Entrants courses 33 (1994), 34 (1996) and 35 (2000).
“It was further noted that we went to National Industrial Court of Nigeria when the police authority refused to regularize our date of appointments like our cadet ASPs counterparts who also got similar court judgement in their favour which the IGP immediately implemented last year through signal dated 24/5/2021 for cadet ASPs courses 18 (1994), 19 (1996) and 20 (2000) because it benefited his (IGP) cronies among whom is now a commissioner in one of the state commands .
“Others are now DCPs and ACPs some of who ought to have retired since 2021. However, we their cadet Inspectors counterparts of courses 33 (1994), 34(1996) and 35 (2000), we were trained together at the same institution and same period, the police authority refused to implement our judgement that was delivered and served since April 2022.
“The Police Service Commission sensing the futility in appealing the case or the implications of disobeying court order, has twice directed the IGP to implement the court judgement but the latter has refused despite advices from some authorities of the police force for the implementation of the judgment.
“This is not only prejudicial but pure double standard as it is said that what is sauce for the geese should be sauce for the gander. Similarly, in the affidavit recently filed by the IGP, he averred that it was we the officers, when we were in the force that failed to report for documentation and implementation of the court judgement, and in actual sense, there was no communication of any kind either through signal or letters to us in the force.
“The IGP should do the needful by inviting us for documentation instead of dissipating energy and time on further prolongation of the matter.
“Suffice to say that if Nigeria Police Force who is a leading agency in enforcement of orders can refuse to implement such an important judgement from a court of competent jurisdiction, then who else is expected to enforce court orders ! We concerned officers perceived this act as discriminatory in nature which is absolutely absurd and contrary to the principles of justice, fairness and equity.”
But the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, said “the purported call for their (retired officers) reinstatement is strange to the law and unrealistic”
Adejobi added that the NPF had filed a motion for a stay of execution at the court while the appeal is slated for hearing at the court’s convenience.
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