ALAS!!! IGP, Usman Baba sentenced to three months in prison

Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday, sentenced the Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.

Justice Olajuwon who delivered the judgement said the order followed a suit filed by a former police officer, Patrick Okoli who claimed he was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigeria Police Force.

The judge held that the IGP should be committed to prison and detained in custody for a period of three months or until he obeys an order made on October 21, 2011.

“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,” the court held.

Justice Olajuwon noted that though the Police Service Commission (PSC) recommended Okoli’s reinstatement into the Force, a decision that was affirmed by the court, the IGP refused to comply with the order.

The development is coming barely three weeks after Justice Chizoba Oji of a High Court Abuja convicted the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa for contempt and ordered that he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

The judge held that Bawa was in contempt of the order of the court made on November 21, 2018, directing the commission to return to an applicant, his Range Rover and the sum of N40 million.

However, Justice Oji in a subsequent ruling set aside the conviction of Bawa after hearing an application brought by the EFCC chairman.