Retired police officers beg Tinubu to help overturn forced retirement

 Retired police officers beg Tinubu to help overturn forced retirement

President Bola Tinubu. Photo: State House 

Some police officers have reiterated their call on the Nigeria Police Force to obey the judgment of the National Industrial Court, which ordered their reinstatement after alleged forceful retirement. 

The aggrieved retired officers — who were members of Courses 33, 34 and 35 of the Police Academy — had earlier approached the National Industrial Court (NIC) to challenge their compulsory retirement from the force when they were yet to reach the mandatory retirement criteria. 

The court, presided over by Justice Oyewumi Oyebiola, ordered that the Inspector General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and the Force Secretary reinstate the officers. The court also restrained the defendants from compulsorily retiring the officers. 

However, since April 19, 2022, when the judgment was delivered, the Inspector General of Police and other defendants had not obeyed the court order reinstating the officers, who joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1996, 1999 and 2000 respectively. 

In a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and made available to our correspondent on Wednesday by their lawyer, Mr. Adetoye Adejola, the retired officers begged the President to intervene in the matter of their reinstatement, citing the alleged non-compliance with the court’s judgment by the Nigeria Police Force. 

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 between CSP Egong Egwu Egong & 3 Ors vs Police Service Commission & 2 Ors delivered on 19th April, 2022, and a call to save the souls of members of the Courses 33, 34, and 35 (force entrants) of the Police Academy — Request for the recall of the unlawfully retired police officers in aid of national policing and internal security.” 

The letter explained that the police authority had stopped paying the salaries of the affected officers, that some had been forcefully retired, and that others were made redundant without duty assignments. 

The lawyer commended President Tinubu for his recent withdrawal of police officers attached to VIPs across the country — a policy meant to redirect manpower to frontline crime-fighting and community policing. He argued, however, that the forcefully retired officers could also serve the nation effectively if reinstated. 

The letter stated that many of the retired officers are still “very agile” and possess “extensive operational and leadership experience,” which remain valuable assets to the country. 

“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… recalling these officers will not only reinforce the depleted ranks of the Nigeria Police but will also serve as a signal of your commitment to justice, fairness, and the promotion of professionalism within the force,” the letter appealed. 

The legal practitioner also urged the President to give an order for the immediate implementation of the court judgment and recall the officers to serve, “particularly in this period of heightened insecurity.”