A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, to three months in prison for disobeying a valid court order.
Justice M. O. Olajuwon on Tuesday held that the IGP should be committed to prison and detained in custody for three months, or until he obeys an order by a sister court on October 21, 2011.
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“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 judge said.
The IGP’s committal followed a suit that was filed by a police officer, Mr. Patrick Okoli, who was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigerian Police Force.
Justice Olajuwon observed that though the Police Service Commission (PSC) recommended Okoli’s reinstatement into the police, which was affirmed by the court, the IGP refused to comply with the order.
The court had also ordered the payment of N10 million 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.
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