IGP reacts to three-month prison sentence

<p><strong>The Inspector-General of Police &lpar;IGP&rpar;&comma; Usman Baba has reacted to the order of a Federal High Court in Abuja&comma; on Tuesday&comma; sentencing him &lpar;IGP&rpar; to three months in prison for flouting a 2011 court order&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The IGP’s committal followed a suit that was filed by a police officer&comma; Patrick Okoli&comma; who was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigerian Police Force&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Reacting to the court’s ruling&comma; the Force Public Relations Officer&comma; Olumuyiwa Adejobi issued said the IGP did not disregard the court order or the rule of law as &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;the office is not aware of any Court Order&comma; during the current IGP’s tenure&comma; with respect to a matter making the round in the media that the IGP disobeyed a Court Order for the reinstatement of a dismissed officer of the Force”&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The statement read&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The Nigeria Police Force wishes to state emphatically that the office of the Inspector-General of Police&comma; IGP Usman Alkali Baba&comma; psc&lpar;&plus;&rpar;&comma;NPM&comma; NEAPS&comma; fdc&comma; CFR&comma; did not disregard Court Order or rule of law as the office is not aware of any Court Order&comma; during the current IGP’s tenure&comma; with respect to a matter making the round in the media that the IGP disobeyed a Court Order for the reinstatement of a dismissed officer of the Force&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It is instructive to note that the case in point concerns an officer who was dismissed as far back as 1992&comma; a few years after the current IGP joined the Nigeria Police Force&comma; based on available facts gleaned from the reports&period; The most recent judgement on the matter was given in 2011 which should ordinarily not fall under the direct purview of the current administration of the Force&period; Thus&comma; the news is strange and astonishing&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The IGP has however directed the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Force Legal Unit to investigate the allegation in a bid to ascertain the position of the court and profer informed legal advice for the IGP’s prompt and necessary action&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The Inspector-General of Police reiterates his commitment to upholding the rule of law and synergizing with the judiciary to ensure quick dispensation of justice for an improved criminal justice system&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;