Retired Senior Police Officers Challenge their Disengagement

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

About 30 senior police officers forcefully retired in 2016 monday dragged President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney-General of the Federation and Inspector-General of Police before the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja challenging their retirement.

Also cited as co-defendants in the suit are the Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Force.
The plaintiffs, through their counsel, J.U. Pius, are challenging their retirement on that grounds that the force was ‘influenced’ to retire them.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to interpret certain provisions of the constitution and whether they are binding on the Police Service Commission and its retirement processes.
They alleged that the IG, Ibrahim Idris, while in an acting capacity wrote to the presidency to retire 30 senior officers from the rank of Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs).
The officers however, want the court to interpret certain laws in line with their retirement which they claimed was influenced.

When the matter came up for mention yesterday, counsel to the plaintiffs, told the court that all defendants in the suit had been duly served with notices to appear in court but failed to enter appearance.
He asked the court to fix the matter for hearing.
However, the trial judge, Justice Rakiya Hasstrup, after going through the records discovered that only the first defendant, the president was served the notice.

The court later adjourned the case till February 22 for further mention, but however ordered that notices be duly served on all five defendants in the suit before the next adjourned date.
Idris had on resumption in office allegedly written to the presidency through the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, recommending retirement of senior police officers.

Some of the affected officers are Bala A Hassan, Yahaya Garba Ardo, Irmiya F Yarima, Danladi Y Mshebwala ,Tambari Y. Mhammed, Bala Magaji Nasarawa, MUsa Abdulsalam, Adisa Bolanta, Mohammed J Gana, Umaru Abubakar Manko , Lawal Tanko nd Olufemi A. Adenike.

Also affected are Johnson A Ogunsakin, Adenrele T. Shinaba, James O. Caulcric, Olufefemi David Ogumbayode, Edgar T Nanakumo, Kalafite H. Adeyemi, Patrick D Dokumor, Mbu Joseph Mbu and Sabo Ibrahim Ringim.