ABUJA, Nigeria – A group of dismissed police officers has appealed to the Acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to review their dismissal and reinstate them, citing a court order in their favour.
The officers assert that there has been a clear injustice against them despite the Industrial Court ruling that mandates their reinstatement.
In a statement on Monday, June 26, 2023, released and signed by Emmanuel Idris, representing the dismissed officers, it was revealed that the officers were forcibly retired despite a court judgment ordering the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission not to force them into retirement, as they had not reached the age of 60 or completed 35 years of service.
The affected officers are members of cadet inspector force entrants 33, 34, and 35.
The group expressed their disappointment with the failure of the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and other relevant authorities to adhere to the court’s decision.
According to the statement, the judgment was delivered in April 2022 by Justice Oyewumi Oyebiola of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, but has yet to be implemented.
The officers further noted that a similar court judgment involving Assistant Superintendents of Police, ASP, was implemented by the former IGP, raising questions as to why their case was treated differently.
In their appeal to Acting Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, the officers wrote: “Your contemporaries and those who have had the opportunity to work with you all attested to your integrity. That you are an officer who does his job with the fear of God, fairness, equity, and justice.”
The dismissed officers are urging the new Inspector General to use his authority to rectify what they perceive as an injustice and to implement the court’s judgment.
There has been no official response from the office of the Acting Inspector General of Police. The officers and their representatives await further developments.
