JUST IN: Court Jails IGP For Three Months Over Contempt
POLITICS DIGEST – The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, sentenced the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to three months in prison for disobeying a valid court order.
The court, in a ruling that was delivered by Justice M. O. Olajuwon, held that the IGP should be committed to prison and detained in custody for a period of three months, or until he obeys an order it made since October 21, 2011.
Read Also:
“If at the end of the three months, the IGP remains recalcitrant and still refuses to purge himself of contempt, he shall be committed for another period and until he purges his contempt”, the court held.
The IGP’s committal 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 noted that though the Police Service Commission, PSC, recommended Okoli’s reinstatement into the Police, a decision that was affirmed by the court, the IGP, refused to comply with the order.
The court had also ordered the payment of N10million to the Applicant, being special and general damages for the unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional denial of his rights and privileges as a Senior Officer of the Nigeria Police Force from 1993 till date.
Details Later…