Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba bags 3 months in prison over contempt
An Abuja Federal High Court on Tuesday, sentenced the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to three months in prison for contempt of court order.
Justice M. O. Olajuwon, who presided over the ruling, pressed that the IGP be remanded in prison for three months until he obeys the order issued by the court on October 21, 20211.
The sentence originated from a lawsuit filed by a police officer, Mr. Patrick Okoli, who was supposedly and unlawfully detained and expelled from the Nigeria Police Force without due diligence.
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Olajuwon further stated that the Police Service Commission (PSC) had asked the Nigerian Police Force to reinstate Mr. Okoli into the Force, but had outrightly disobeyed the order.
The court posited that should the police boss fail to obey the said court order after the expiration of the three months jail term, the court would have no choice but to take punitive measures.
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Olajuwon said, “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.”
Meanwhile, in compensation to the applicant, the court had ordered the payment of N10 million to Mr. Okoli as special and general damages for the unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional denial of his civil rights and privileges as a senior Police Officer of the Nigerian Police Force since 1993 till 2022.