Court dismisses PSC’s suit, upholds IGP’s powers to recruit

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by the Police Service Commission (PSC) challenging the powers of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to recruit police constables.

The PSC sued the police over the recruitment of 10,000 constables as approved by President Mohammadu Buhari. The IGP, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) were listed as defendants in the case.

Delivering judgement in the suit on Monday, the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the suit lacked merit.

The judge noted that section 71 of the Nigeria Police Service Regulations gave the power to enlist constables to the Police Council under the control of the IGP and not the PSC.
He held that the PSC by its enabling law could only appoint constables after the enlistment exercise carried out by the NPF.

Justice Ekwo added that the Civil Service Rules cited by the PSC in defining the meaning of “appointment” to include “recruitment” did not apply to the NPF, not being a civil service.

He further held that contrary to the allegation by the PSC that the NPF and the IGP were attempting to usurp its powers to recruit the constables, it was the PSC that was attempting to usurp the powers of the NPF and IGP.