The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has filed a motion to set aside the committal order By a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sentencing the Police boss to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.
The court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, held that the IGP should be committed to prison and detained in custody for a period of three months until he obeyed an order it made since October 21, 2011.
“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 Police in a statement by the Force Public Relstions Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had claimed the IGP was not aware of the court order reinstating any dismissed police officer.
However, Adejobi in a nother statement, Friday in Abuja, said: “The IGP following the committal order issued by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, has approached the Court to file a motion to set aside the contempt proceeding and committal order.
“In the motion filed before the Federal High Court in the FCT on Thursday, December 1, 2022, the IGP extensively highlighted grounds why the orders should be set aside including noting that he had not been appointed into office as IGP when the case was instituted and the reinstatement order in question granted.
“He also affirmed that the contempt proceedings were served via substituted means in November 2018 and January, 2019 respectively, on the then IGP and not on him as the incumbent.
“The IGP in his disposition further noted that even before his assumption of Office, official steps had been taken by his predecessors toward complying with the reinstatement of Patrick C. Okoli, the plaintiff, as ordered by the Court.
“As noted by him, this was evidenced by an official letter addressed to the Police Service Commission on the approval of the then Inspector General of Police, as far back as 2015, and before the court order of November 29, 2022, requesting the Commission to issue a reinstatement letter to the plaintiff and also effect his promotion in line with the order of the Court and in the exercise of their statutory authority in that regard. Hence, the grounds for the contempt proceedings ought not to have existed, ab initio.”
The spokesperson said the police boss reassured Nigerians of his unalloyed commitment and steadfastness in defending the rule of law and respecting judicial authorities and hence, will not wittingly or unwittingly disobey any order validly granted by courts of competent jurisdiction.
