Retired Police Officers Calling For IGP Baba Alkali’s Removal ‘Mischievous’, ‘Unreasonable’-Force Headquarters
The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday described as baseless and mischievous, the calls for the removal and imprisonment of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Baba Usman Alkali by some retired police officers, who claimed to have gotten a judgment for their reinstatement into the Force.
It would be recalled that some retired police officers had filed a suit at the National Industrial Court in April 2022 to challenge their retirement. Judgment was however delivered in their favour by the court.
The said judgment which was inconsistent with the provisions of the Public Service Rules in respect of retirement from public service had since been appealed in suit number: NICN/AB/21M/2023 filed by the legal team of the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday 8th February, 2023 .
‘For the record, the said retired police officers joined the Nigeria Police Force as recruit constables in 1984 and 1986 respectively. Having served for ten years and over, they were privileged to be admitted as Force Entrants into Cadet Inspector Courses 33, 34, and 35 of the Nigeria Police Academy in 1994, 1996, and 2000 respectively. It is pertinent to note that “Force Entrant” is a scheme by the Nigeria Police Force where deserving officers with requisite educational records are upgraded to a higher cadre after a brief training period at the Police Academy or at any approved Police College, and as such, not a fresh appointment.
Essentially, this implies that the service duration of such officers continues counting and does not automatically restart. Therefore, according to the Public Service Rules, the retired officers, having served in the public service and received salaries as required by law, cannot insist on remaining in service beyond the legally permitted period. Consequently, the purported calls for their reinstatement is strange to the law and unrealistic.
It is imperative to emphatically state that the Nigeria Police Force has filed a motion for a stay of execution while the appeal is slated for hearing at the Court’s convenience’ Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, who is the Force PRO, submitted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Thursday.
The statement urged members of the public to disregard publications that were widely circulated in the media calling for the sack of the IGP on the above grounds as ‘they are baseless, malicious, and mischievous’.
‘The Nigeria Police assures the public of its continued commitment to entrenching respect for the rule of law both within the policing system and in the discharge of policing services to the general public’ the statement added- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
