Court Sentences IGP Alkali-Baba to 3 Months Imprisonment
By Odunayo Odeja
The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and jailed the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to three months in prison for disobeying a valid court order.
Justice M. O. Olajuwon delivered the judgement on Tuesday.
The justice said the IGP should be imprisoned and detained in custody for three months or until he obeyed an order made on October 21, 2011.
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The court said, “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 until he purges his contempt”.
The IGP’s committal followed suit filed by a police officer, Mr Patrick Okoli, who 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 the court affirmed, the IGP, refused to comply with the order.
The court had also ordered the payment of N10 million to the Applicant, being unique 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.
