A group of retired police officers has called on the Police Service Commission (PSC) to comply with a 2022 National Industrial Court judgment that ordered their reinstatement.
The affected officers, who were prematurely retired in 2021, have initiated contempt proceedings against the PSC and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for failing to enforce the court’s ruling.
In 2021, police officers from Courses 33, 34, and 35 were retired, with the police authorities citing that they had reached the mandatory 35 years of service. The officers, led by Egong Egwu Egong, Omeh Felix Okechukwu, Paul Obot Umoh, and Galadima Bello, filed a lawsuit against the PSC, the IGP, and the force secretary, challenging their forced retirement.
In April 2022, the National Industrial Court ruled in favor of the affected officers, declaring that their first appointment dates should be considered the day they entered the police academy, not when they were enlisted as recruit constables. The court also nullified their forceful retirement and ordered that their full entitlements be paid.
The court provided specific dates for the first appointment of the officers: Course 33 – June 10, 1994; Course 34 – August 6, 1996; and Course 35 – May 1, 2000.
However, since the ruling, the police authorities have failed to fully implement the court’s orders regarding the reinstatement of the officers, prompting the legal action.
Recent Court Proceedings
On February 4, 2025, during proceedings at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, Adeleke Agbola, the lawyer representing the affected officers, argued that a statement issued by the PSC on January 31 contradicted the 2022 court order. Agbola requested that the court maintain the status quo pending the committal proceedings to address the non-compliance with the judgment.
“There is no appeal against the judgment. I urge the court that the status quo be maintained until the hearing of the committal proceedings,” Agbola told the court, emphasizing that the officers’ first appointment dates should be those they entered the academy, as per the court’s ruling.
In defense, Ade Adedeji, counsel for the PSC and IGP, asserted that the police authorities were in the process of complying with the court’s decision. Adedeji clarified that the PSC’s January 31 statement had no bearing on the affected officers, and that the claimants had been posted according to the law.
The presiding judge, Osatohanmwen Osaghae, adjourned the case to March 18, 2025, for a report on compliance with the court order or to hear the committal proceedings.
PSC’s January 31 Statement
The PSC’s statement on January 31 sparked additional controversy. The statement announced the immediate retirement of senior police officers who are either over 60 years old or have spent more than 35 years in service. The PSC reversed a 2017 policy that allowed officers’ appointment dates to reflect the date they joined the force, instead of when they entered the police academy.
This announcement came amid public debates surrounding the tenure of IGP Kayode Egbetokun, adding further complexity to the ongoing issues within the police force.
As the case progresses, the retired officers remain adamant that their rights be upheld and the court’s order fully enforced. The matter now awaits further judicial review in March.
