By Emma Njoku
Some police officers who were retired from service in controversial circumstances have raised fresh alarm over non compliance with a court ruling on the matter by police authorities.
The embattled officers, namely: CSP Egong Egwu Egong; CSP Omeh Felix Okechukwu; CSP Paul Obot Umoh and SP Galadima Bello, on behalf of themselves and others, had approached the court to challenge their premature retirement and the court ruled in their favour, that they be recalled and the date of their letters of appointments regularised. But more than one year after the court ruling, the police authorities have not complied with the court order.
Narrating their plight, the embattled inspectors cited a similar case involving some Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP), who challenged their retirement in court and were reinstated after the court ruled in their favour.
They stated: “We are Force Entrance Cadet Inspectors Course 33./1994, 34/1996 and 35/2000.
On the 21/ April 2021, Cadet ASP Course 18/1994, 19/1996 and 20/2000 went to court on the issue of the regularisation of the date of appointment into the Force and judgement was given in their favour, that the date of their first appointment into the force is the date stated in their appointment letter.
“Based on the above judgement, the police authorities called them to come and update their records pursuant to the implementation of the court judgement.
“Since all of us were trained together, the same year at the same Police Academy Kano, we also went to the Force to equally update our records, but, lo and behold, we were told by the Force Secretary, the AIG Inuwa Haifize, that the judgement did not include cadet inspectors. That we should go and get our own judgement.
“Based on his instructions, we, the cadet inspectors, went to court and got our judgement, but the police authorities refused to comply with the judgement as they did to the cadet ASPs’ judgement.
“At this point, we were confused and couldn’t comprehend the basis on which the police authorities dumped our court judgement, which the force secretary requested for, into the dustbin. The judgement was from the same court and delivered by the same judge.
“While this was going on, some of our course mates were asked to go on retirement contrary to the court judgement. The then IGP left without obeying the court order and dared anyone to “come and carry him to the court” even when the court invited him and the force secretary.”
The aggrieved officers said the appointment of the new IGP, Kayode Egbetukon, and the current Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase, had raised their hopes that their matter would soon be resolved.
“We were hopeful that they would comply with the court judgement. But, unfortunately, our hopes were thrown to the dogs. Then, along the line, the chairman of the commission wrote a letter to the IGP, instructing him to extract a voluntary letter of retirement from us. Since we could not give in to their instructions, the police authorities stopped our salaries and removed us from office, thereby, keeping us redundant, while our ASP counterparts are enjoying their offices and receiving their salaries.”
The embattled officers said the police authorities, in a bid to legalise their actions, consulted the Force’s legal department on the matter, and the legal department advised them to comply with the court order. Also, the police service commission was said to have written two to three letters, instructing the police authorities to implement the court order under the former chairman of the commission, yet the police authorities, under the former IGP Alkali, allegedly ignored the directive.
“Close to one year after obtaining our judgement, it was not complied with, and all efforts made by our lawyer to ensure that the judgement is implemented proved abortive. He was, therefore, left with no other option than to proceed to court for contempt against the police authorities, excluding the police service commission who, at the time, directed that the judgement be implemented,” the embattled police inspectors said.
When contacted for reactions on the matter, the Public Relations Officer, Police Service Commission (PSC), Ikechukwu Ani, said he had no details on the matter and directed Daily Sun to the Force Public Relations Officer who, he said, was in a better position to speak on the matter.
“I think you should contact the Force Public Relations Officer on the matter. He is in a better position to speak on the matter because he has clearer perspectives of the issues at stake,” the PSC spokesman said.
In his own reaction, the Force Public Relations Officer, Giwa Adejobi, advised the embattled officers to take their matter to the new IGP, Kayode Egbetukon, assuring that he would treat the matter on its merit.
Adejobi said: “I need to advise them to be patient. Let them send representatives to meet with the police hierarchy to discuss the matter mutually. It has been a lingering issue, and I don’t know if they have briefed the current IGP and Force Secretary, including our legal department. Nobody has any personal interest in their case, and nobody will deny them their rights and privileges. I am sure that by the time they meet with the IGP, the case will be treated on its merit.”