The ruling on the suit seeking the removal of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, from office has been fixed for April 16, 2021.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court Abuja fixed the date after parties in the suit adopted their written addresses.
Adamu was appointed in 2019 and had clocked the mandatory 35 years in service on February 1.
He was expected to have retired from service but his tenure was extended by another three months by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Maxwell Opara, a legal practitioner, subsequently took the IGP to court, contending that by virtue of section 215 of the Nigerian constitution and section 7 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, Adamu cannot continue to function as the IGP, having retired as a serving member of the force.
However, in his defence, the IGP told the federal high court that the new Nigeria Police Act gave him a four-year tenure, which would only lapse in either 2023 or 2024.
Supporting Adamu’s position, President Buhari and Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation, who are the second and third defendants in the matter, told the court through their lawyer that the law permits the IGP to remain in office until either 2023 or 2024.
At the court session on Tuesday, Ugochukwu Ezekiel, counsel to the plaintiff, told the court that hearing notice, as well as other court processes, have been served on the Nigerian Police Council (NPC), the fourth defendant in the suit.
All lawyers in the matter adopted their written addresses.
After listening to arguments canvassed by lawyers, Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge, fixed April 16 for judgment.
