Court orders arrest of IGP Usman Alkali, AIG Hafeez Inuwa
A National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali, and the Force Secretary, AIG Hafeez Inuwa, for disobeying a court order, which was deemed contempt.
Earlier, the court had ordered the IG to reinstate some police officers who are graduates of Courses 33, 34, and 35 of the police academy and who were said to have been forcibly retired by the force, but the IG allegedly disregarded the court order.
The aggrieved officers petitioned the court to overturn the IG's order mandating their retirement from the military. The court, presided over by Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi, subsequently ordered the IG, the Police Service Commission, and the Force Secretary of the Police to reinstate the officers who had been forcibly retired.
Since the 19th of April 2022, when the judgement was issued, the IGP and other defendants have not complied with the court order.
In a recent court order issued on June 8, 2023, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, Justice Oyewumi reprimanded the IG for refusing to heed the court despite advice from the relevant police force stakeholders.
The court order stated, "It is on record that on April 19, 2022, the court rendered a judgement in this matter and ordered that the judgement creditors/applicants be reinstated immediately. It is also on record that the Police Service Commission, the statutory body with the authority to appoint, promote, and discipline judgement creditors/applicants, ordered the Inspector General of Police to comply with the court's ruling.
"It is also noteworthy that the CP, Legal, Head of the Legal Department of the Nigerian Police Force, issued a legal opinion urging the Inspector General of Police to comply with the order of this court via a letter dated July 27, 2022, which was received by the Inspector General of Police on July 27, 2022, but he has refused to obey or comply with the judgement of this court.
"This officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria swore to uphold the rule of law, but he has now failed or refused to heed that law. It is also important to note that he and the Force Secretary have had ample opportunities to appear before this court and show cause as to why they should not be held in contempt of this court. According to the court's record, they have both been served the enrolment of order of this court separately, yet they have both chosen to disregard the order of this court and desecrated this hallowed chamber and temple of justice.
"Justice is not only for the wealthy, but also for the impoverished and the vulnerable. I pause to ponder the nature of the Inspector General of Police, the head of a law enforcement agency, if he finds it so difficult to comply with a simple judicial order. I also question what kind of example he is setting for his officers if, as the head of the Nigerian Police Force, he has chosen to disregard the advice of the Police Service Commission and the CP, Legal to comply with the law. I must say that this is absurd and abhorrent.
"In light of the facts stated, which are consistent with the court's record, I hold the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and the Force Secretary, AIG Hafeez Inuwa to be in contempt of court. They are to be arrested and brought before the court for appropriate action."
The case was adjourned until October 9, 2023.
Source: Newsexpressng
