A Federal High Court presided over by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon has sentenced the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to three months imprisonment for disobedience of court order.
The Judge’s decision followed a suit filed by a police officer, Patrick Okoli, who contended that his compulsory retirement from the police was illegal
The Judge observed that while the Police Service Commission recommended Okoli’s reinstatement into the Force, and the decision affirmed by the court, the IGP refused to comply with the order which was made on October 21, 2011.
Justice Olajuwon also awarded N10 million in favour of the applicant as the special and general damages for the denial of his constitutional rights and privileges as a senior officer of the Nigeria Police Force from 1993 till date.
The judge ruled that the IGP should be committed to prison until he obeys the ordered thst was issued on the matter since 2011.
“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 court held.