Court Says Police Boss Can Recruit
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the suit challenging the ongoing recruitment exercise of 10,000 police constables by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu.
Delivering judgement, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that it is the Police Service Council under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police that is statutorily empowered to enlist constables into the force.
Justice Ekwo dismissed the suit brought by the Police Service Commission (PSC), challenging the power of the IGP to recruit personnel into the force.
The judge held that the law guiding the enlistment of constables into the NPF was the Nigeria Police Regulations of 1968, issued by the Nigerian President in accordance with the provisions of Section 46 of the Police Act 1967 (No 41), providing for the organisation and administration of the police force.
The judge noted that section 71 of the Nigeria Police Service Regulations gave the power to enlist constables to the Police Council under the control of the IGP and not the PSC.
He, therefore, dismissed the PSC’s suit for lacking in merit.
The judge held that PSC has been unable to prove that the recruitment usurps its powers.
Police Service Commission (PSC) had taken the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force to court over the recruitment of 10,000 constables as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The suit with the number, FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2019, was filed by the plaintiff’s counsel, Kanu Agabi.
The defendants in the suit are the Nigeria Police Force (first), the IGP (second), the Minister of Police Affairs (third) and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (fourth).
Details later…
