An Abuja Federal High Court on Tuesday, sentenced the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to three months in prison for disobeying a valid court order.
In a judgement delivered by Justice M.O. Olajuwon, the court held that the IGP should be committed to prison and held in custody for a period of 3 months, or until he obeys an order it made since October 21, 2011.
“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 and until he purges his contempt”, the court held.
The judgment followed a suit filed by a police officer, Mr. Patrick Okoli, who was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigerian Police Force.
Justice Olajuwon said that despite fact that the Police Service Commission, PSC, recommended Okoli’s reinstatement into the Police, which the court upheld the decision, the IGP, refused to comply with the order.
The court also awarded the payment of N10million to the Applicant, as 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.