Court declares IGP’s stay in office illegal

Justice Fatun Riman of the Federal High Court, Awka, has declared the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba’s continued stay in office as illegal.

The judge gave the ruling in a suit marked FHC/AKW/CS/58/2023 filed by one Okechukwu Nwafor.

The ruling was delivered on May 19 but its certified true copy was made available to journalists on Saturday.

The plaintiff had in the suit asked the court to stop Baba from parading himself as the IGP following the expiration of his tenure.

President Muhammadu Buhari, the IGP, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Nigeria Police Council were listed as respondents in the suit.

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The president had on January 19 extended the tenure of the IGP.

Baba was expected to retire from service on March 1 after attaining the retirement age of 60 years.

In his ruling, the judge declared that the IGP retention was against the provisions of the Police Act, 2020.

Riman, who said the IGP’s continued stay in office is “unlawful and unconstitutional,” described him as an illegal occupier of the office.

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