IGP is given a three-month prison term for contempt by the court.

Usman Baba, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), was given a three month prison sentence for breaching a court order by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja, according to Vanguard. On November 28, 2022, Olajuwon made the decision in response to a lawsuit brought by Patrick Okoli, a former police officer who contends he was forcibly and illegally retired from the Nigerian police service. Okoli filed the lawsuit. The affidavits used to support the lawsuit state that the applicant was forced into retirement in June 1992. On February 19, 1994, a Bauchi high court issued a ruling in favor of the petitioner and nullified the letter ordering his forced retirement as a result of his legal challenge. IGP is given a three month prison term for contempt by the court. Additionally, the supreme court mandated that the applicant be reinstated with all rights and privileges. The Police Service Commission (PSC) in a letter dated October 13, 2004, directed the then IGP to reinstate the applicant and issue a recommendation for promotion in accordance with the decision of the court. Consequently, Okoli instituted a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/637/2009 at the Abuja federal high court seeking an order of mandamus to compel the enforcement of the order of the Bauchi state high court and the directives of the PSC. Court sentences IGP to three months in prison for contempt Abuja federal high court delivered its judgment in favor of the applicant on October 21, 2011. The office of the IGP appealed the federal high court judgment but the appeal was dismissed. The applicant took further steps to enforce the order including approaching the federal house of representatives who then wrote to the office of the IGP. After efforts failed, the applicant approached the law firm of Festus Keyamo, to commence a committal proceeding against the respondent. Delivering judgment, Olajuwon held that the IGP should be committed to prison and detained for a period of three months, or until he obeys the order. 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, the judge held. It is a duty that every citizen, who believes in the 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 The terms of the Orders of this Court are clear and unambiguous. This court Is satisfied that the respondent (presently and those before him) has had proper knowledge of the Orders of this Court, there is no denial of such knowledge and the receipt of Forms 48 and 49. The respondent filed a counter affidavit and was duly represented in court by different counsel, who stated how they had written several legal opinions which were not attended to. The refusal and failure of the respondent to comply with the orders of this court have been proved in this case. The respondent, in this case, the inspector general of police, in the person of Usman Alkali Baba, is to be committed to prison and detained in custody for a period of three months or until he has obeyed the order of this court, made on the 21st of October 2011, in all things that are to be performed, whichever period is shorter. 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 until he purges his contempt.