IGP May Face Fresh Contempt Proceedings
Alex Enumah in Abuja
Barely few days after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his remand in prison for refusing to obey a lawful order of court, the Inspector General (IG) of Police is being threatened with a similar charge by a dismissed Police officer, one Mr Christian Osondu.
The dismissed officer through his lawyer, Mr Ojukwu Chikaosolu, has threatened to commence fresh contempt proceedings on Tuesday, against Usman Baba, over his continued disregard to a presidential directive and an order of the National Industrial Court re-instating Osondu to the police force.
Besides, the IG, the lawyer has also threatened to drag the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Legal Department before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee [LPDC] for allegedly not giving the IG right legal opinion.
He said, “The judgment was sequel to non-compliance to the decision of the Police Service Commission (PSC) in letter dated 22/07/2020 with Ref No. PSC/1524/IV/5 which directed IGP to reinstate the dismissed officer”.
Chikaosolu disclosed that to that extent they
have “decided to file form 48 which is consequences to the disobedience to court and will follow it up with form for the committal to prison of the IGP if he remains adamant”.
He added that a 72 hours ultimum has been issued to the Commissioner of Police in charge of Legal, “to furnish them with his legal opinion to the IG on this matter and after the 72 hours and he fails to respond to our request we would have no other option than to drag him before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee [LPDC].
Specifically the National Industrial Court, Abuja Division, had ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to reonstate one Christian Osondu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who was dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force to his rank and pay him all his entitlements with effect from March 2019.
The judgment was sequel to non-compliance to the decision of the Police Service Commission (PSC) in a letter dated 22/07/2020 with Ref No. PSC/1524/IV/5 which directed IGP to re-instate the dismissed officer.
In the judgment delivered by Justice O. O Oyewumi in suit No: FHC/NICN/ABJ/153/2022; between Osondu Christian Vs The Inspector General of Police & 2 Ors, the court held that; the decision of the Police Service Commission (PSC) as contained in its letter dated 22/07/2020 with Ref No.: PSC/1524/IV/5 re-instating the 1st respondent to his rank and entitlements in the Nigeria Police Force with effect from 26/03/2019 is valid, subsisting and binding on the Inspector General of Police.
“That the Court has the power to make an order mandating the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to direct the Inspector General of Police to comply with the decision of the PSC, pursuant to the provisions of Section 215(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“His Lordship thereafter directed the Inspector General of Police to reinstate the respondent forthwith and to pay damages in the sum of N 10,000,000.00 for his display of executive recklessness and willful disobedience to a statutory duty.”
However, Osondu through his lawyer had also written to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Inspector-General of Police to comply with the judgment as ordered by the court.
The letter was copied to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
