30 senior officers sue president, police for wrongful retirement

Thirty senior police officers retired in 2016, have challenged their retirement at the National Industrial Court Abuja, insisting the force was ‘influenced’ to retire them.

The officers sought the powers of the court to interpret certain parts of the constitution binding on the Police Service Commission and its retirement processes.

The officers sued the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation and Inspector-General of Police for an `influenced’ retirement.

Joined as co-defendants are the Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Force.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, while in an acting capacity allegedly wrote to the presidency to retire the 30 senior officers.

It was also alleged that the officers who were from the rank of Assistant Inspector-General (AIG), of police were eventually retired at the instance of the IGP.

The officers are praying the court to interpret certain laws in line with their retirement, which they claimed was influenced.

The officers’ counsel, J. U. Pius, told the court that all defendants in the suit were duly served notices on August 16, 2016, to appear in court today but failed to enter appearance.

He prayed the court for an adjourned date to hear the substantive matter.

However, the court’s records showed that only the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was served notice.

The Judge, Rakiya Haastrup, adjourned the case till February 22 for mention.

She ordered that notices be duly served on all five defendants before the adjourned date.