IGP Usman Baba appeals jail term
CITIZENS COMPASS- THE Inspector-General of Police IGP Usman Baba, on Friday, said he has approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and filed a motion to set aside the contempt proceeding and committal order against him.
In a motion filed on Thursday, Usman Baba highlighted extensively grounds why the orders should be set aside.
He said he had received a proper legal advice from the Commissioner of Police in charge of the force legal unit.
The force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Friday morning, said the top cop explained that he had not been appointed into office as IGP when the case was instituted and the reinstatement order in question granted.
He also argued that the contempt proceedings were served via substituted means in November 2018 and January, 2019 respectively, on the then Inspector-General of Police, and not on him as the incumbent.
“The IGP in his disposition further noted that even before his assumption of Office, official steps had been taken by his predecessors toward complying with the reinstatement of Patrick C. Okoli, the plaintiff, as ordered by the Court”, the statement said.
“As noted by him, this was evidenced by an official letter addressed to the Police Service Commission on the approval of the then Inspector General of Police, as far back as 2015, and before the court order of November 29th, 2022, requesting the Commission to issue a reinstatement letter to the plaintiff and also effect his promotion in line with the order of the Court and in the exercise of their statutory authority in that regard.