The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has fixed March 17, 2025, to deliver a ruling in a suit filed by over 400 police officers who were allegedly forcefully retired from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The suit, marked NICN/ABJ/28/2025, was instituted by officers from Courses 18, 19, and 20 (Force Entrants) of the Police Academy. The officers, through eight of their representatives—ACP Chinedu Emengaha, ACP Victor Chilaka, ACP Egwu Otu, CSP Sylvester Ebosele, CSP Sunday Okuguni, CSP Asuquo Inyang, CSP Kalu Chikozie, and CSP Adetu Omoteso—challenged their retirement from service.
They alleged that their retirement was unlawful, contending that they had neither attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 years nor completed 35 years of pensionable service.
Cited as 1st to 3rd defendants in the matter are the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Force Secretary of the Nigeria Police.
At the resumed proceedings on Tuesday, counsel to the claimants, Chief Goddy Uche, SAN, decried that despite the pending suit, police authorities had not only reduced the rank of some of the litigants but also retired them from service. He further noted that the 2nd and 3rd defendants failed to send legal representation to the court for the day’s sitting.
However, Justice R. B. Haastrup informed the claimants that the ruling, which was earlier scheduled for Tuesday, was not ready. She adjourned the matter to March 17, 2025, for the court’s decision.
The claimants are seeking an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from retiring or suspending any officers of the concerned courses who are yet to reach 35 years of pensionable service or the retirement age of 60, pending the final determination of the suit. They are also praying for an order restraining the defendants from suspending the salaries or postings of any of the affected officers.
Additionally, the claimants want the court to determine whether, considering earlier judgements delivered by Justice O. Oyewunmi of the National Industrial Court in suits NICN/ABJ/345/2019 and NICN/ABJ/353/2019—judgements that were implemented by the defendants in July 2021—the defendants are estopped from revisiting the issue of their date of first appointment.
Among the reliefs sought is a declaration that their respective dates of first appointment, as contained in their appointment letters, are valid and not subject to review by the defendants.
The claimants further prayed the court to declare that members of Course 18, 19, and 20, who have neither served 35 years nor reached the age of 60, are excluded from the PSC’s decision at its extraordinary management board meeting held on January 31, 2025, which approved the immediate retirement of officers who have spent 35 years in service or are above 60 years of age.
They also sought declarations affirming that their appointments as Cadet Officers are considered fresh appointments, not a merger of previous service, and that the defendants cannot set aside the subsisting judgements of the National Industrial Court already implemented.
The claimants are also asking for an order setting aside the PSC’s directive contained in its January 31, 2025, press release as it concerns Courses 18, 19, and 20 (Force Entrants), as well as perpetual injunctions restraining the defendants from reviewing their appointment dates or retiring any officer who has not reached the mandatory retirement conditions.