Retired Police Officers Appeal to President Tinubu Over Forced Retirement
Some retired Nigerian police officers have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and enforce a court order for their reinstatement after allegedly being forced into early retirement.
The officers, who were members of Courses 33, 34, and 35 of the Police Academy, approached the National Industrial Court (NIC) to challenge their compulsory retirement before completing the mandatory 35 years of service.
Presiding Justice Oyewumi Oyebiola ruled in their favour, ordering the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the Force Secretary to reinstate the officers. The court also restrained these officials from forcing the officers into retirement.
Despite the judgment delivered on April 19, 2022, the Nigeria Police Force has yet to comply. The affected officers joined the force in 1996, 1999, and 2000, respectively, and have remained without reinstatement for more than three years later.
In a letter addressed to President Tinubu and made available to newsmen, their lawyer, Mr. Adetoye Adejola, urged the President to intervene following what they described as the police authorities’ failure to obey the court ruling. The letter was titled: “Re: Petition on non-implementation of the judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in suit No. NICN/ABJ/281/2021… and a call to save the souls of members of Courses 33, 34, and 35 of the Police Academy.”
The letter explained that since the court judgment, the police authorities had stopped paying salaries to some officers, forcefully retired others, and rendered remaining officers redundant by withholding assignments. Adejola praised President Tinubu for recently ordering the withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs, arguing that the retired officers could still be valuable to the force.
He stated: “In light of the directives, we respectfully wish to bring to Your Excellency’s attention the plight and potential value of some senior police officers who were compulsorily retired before attaining their due retirement age or statutory years of service by the police authority… These officers, many of whom are still very agile and possess extensive operational and leadership experience, no doubt, remain a valuable asset to the nation.”
The lawyer appealed to President Tinubu to order the immediate implementation of the court judgment and reinstate the officers, saying doing so would strengthen the depleted ranks of the Nigeria Police and signal the administration’s commitment to justice, fairness, and professionalism. He also highlighted the importance of recalling the officers during this period of heightened insecurity.
The appeal sheds light on ongoing concerns regarding the management of senior police personnel and raises questions about compliance with court judgments in Nigeria.
