IGP to face contempt charges over failure to obey 9-year-old court order

Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), has been ordered to appear before a federal high court in Abuja over his refusal to obey a court order.

Ijeoma Ojukwu, presiding judge, gave this order following a Form 49 request filed against the IGP by one Patrick  Okoli, in a suit marked: ABJ/CR/637/2009.

“An order of this honourable court is hereby made mandating the inspector-general of police to appear before this honourable court on the fourth day of February 2021 at 9am, to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be taken against the inspector-general of police for refusal to obey the judgment of this honourable court in this matter, which judgment was affirmed by the court of appeal,” the judge said.

In his affidavit supporting the Form 49, Okoli stated that he was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigeria police force (NPF) on June 16, 1992, pursuant to Decree No 17 of 1984.

He said he had challenged his unlawful retirement at a high court in Bauchi state, which passed judgment in his favour on February 9, 1994, in the suit marked: BA/48M/93

He stated that upon the judgment, the then attorney-general of the federation (AGF), senate committee on police affairs, and the head of service of the federation, wrote the IGP to comply with the judgment.

Okoli said the Police Service Commission (PSC) also wrote the IGP on three occasions, asking him to comply with the judgment.

Following the IGP’s failure to comply with the court order, the applicant said he instituted another suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/637/2009 at the Abuja federal high court.

“The federal high court in Abuja delivered its judgment in favour of the applicant (Okoli) on October 21, 2011,” Okoli said.

“The respondent (the IGP) appealed against the said judgment of the federal high court, Abuja, but the court of appeal, in its wisdom, struck out the appeal.

“Notwithstanding the striking out of the notice of appeal, the respondent maintained his position not to enforce the pending federal high court judgment.”

Okoli added that the IGP has also shunned further interventions by the PSC and the house of representatives, which prompted his decision to initiate the contempt proceedings.