The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Tuesday, sentenced the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.
Delivering the judgment, Justice M. O. Olajuwon held that the IGP should be kept in prison and detained in custody for a period of three months, until he obeys an order it made since October 21, 2011.
He said, “If at the end of the three months, the contemnor remains recalcitrant and still refuses to purge his contempt, he shall be committed for another period and until he purges his contempt.
“Okoli, in a suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/637/2009, had sued the I-G as a sole respondent in the matter.
“The plaintiff, who prayed the court to order his reinstatement, said he was nlawfully retired in 1992 by the Police Council, presently known as the Police Service Commission (PSC), while serving in Bauchi State Command as a chief Superintendent of police, among others.
“This court has bent backward over and over again for the respondent.
“This Court even ordered that the Assistant Chief Registrar (Litigation) write to the respondent to inform him of the pendency of this matter, which he did and the proof of receipt of same in the office of the respondent is before this court.
“it is unfortunate that the chief enforcer of the law is one who has deliberately refused to comply with the same law.
“It is important to state that obedience to orders of the court is fundamental to the good order, peace and stability of a nation.
“It is a duty which every citizen, who believes in peace and stability of the Nigerian state, owes the nation and the court has a duty to commit the individual who has failed to carry out the order of the court for contempt, so as to prevent the authority and administration of law from being brought to disrespect and to protect the dignity of the court.”
