30 retired AIGs, other senior officers sue Buhari, others over retirement benefit

SOME 30 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) and other senior officers retired last year have approached the National Industrial Court (NIC) in Abuja, challenging their retirement from the Nigeria Police, saying the force was ‘influenced’ to retire them.

The senior police officers, in their suit, want the court to interpret certain parts of the constitution binding on the Police Service Commission (PSC) and its retirement processes.

They sued President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on the ground that their retirement was ‘influenced’.

Also joined as co-defendants in the suit are the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

It will be recalled that the IGP, Ibrahim Idris, while in an acting capacity, allegedly wrote to the Presidency to retire the 30 senior police officers; a request which was reportedly granted by President Buhari some time last year.

According to what Idris wrote, reason he asked for their retirement was that he could not work with them and that he wanted to, in all sense of the word, take charge of the police.

The police boss said since he had been given the responsibility to provide security, it was imperative that the AIGs be removed as they might be a cog in his wheel of progress.

Counsel representing the officers, J. U. Pius, told the court that all defendants in the suit were duly served hearing notices on August 16, 2016, to appear in court on Monday, but the defendants failed to enter appearance.

Pius prayed the court to fix a a date for the hearing of the substantive matter.

From the records of the court, it showed that only one defendant, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who was served notice of hearing of the matter.

The trial judge, Rakiya Haastrup, adjourned the case till February 22 for further mention and ordered that hearing notices be duly served on the five defendants in the suit before the adjourned date.