…Say Industrial Court Ordered IGP to Reinstate Them

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

Disengaged police officers from Courses 33, 34, and 35 of the Nigeria Police Academy have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to comply with a National Industrial Court (NIC) judgment ordering their reinstatement.

The officers, who claim they were unlawfully retired despite not reaching the statutory 35 years of service or the 60-year age limit, had challenged their disengagement at the National Industrial Court in Abuja. In April 2022, the court ruled in their favor, directing the IGP, the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the Secretary of the Police Force to reinstate them. However, the officers allege that the judgment remains unenforced.

Their lawyer, Olatoye Ademola, in an SOS letter to President Tinubu, expressed frustration over the police authorities’ failure to comply with the court’s directive despite earlier signals suggesting progress.

The letter reads: “Our clients were very elated and optimistic when they received signals to report in Abuja between 12th and 16th August 2024 for further documentation, with expectations of receiving their posting letters and resuming duty.”

“However, over two months after the documentation was concluded, no official communication or action has been taken by the IGP. Our clients are left in confusion and dismay, having followed due process and complied with all directives.”

Ademola further emphasized that the officers’ rights, as upheld by a competent court of jurisdiction, must not continue to be denied.

The officers urged President Tinubu to intervene urgently and direct the IGP to regularize their dates of appointment as mandated by the court judgment, emphasizing that there is no pending appeal against the ruling.

They also expressed hope that the President would use his office to ensure justice is served and their reinstatement expedited without further delay.