Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, November 29 has passed a judgement sentencing the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to three months in prison for disobeying a valid court order, made since October 21, 2011.
The judge, Justice M. O. Olajuwon in his ruling said the IGP should be imprisoned for a period of three months, or until he obeys the court order.
“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 court held.
The verdict followed a suit that was filed by a police officer, Mr. Patrick Okoli, who was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigerian Police Force.
Justice Olajuwon revealed that though the Police Service Commission, PSC, recommended Okoli’s reinstatement into the Police force, a decision that was validated by the court, which the IGP, refused to comply with the order.
The court had also ordered the police chief to pay the sum of N10million in compensation to the applicant for the unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional violation of his fundamental human rights as a Senior Officer of the Nigeria Police Force from 1993 till date.
