The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Monday in Abuja, ordered the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Solomon Arase, to
appear before it on Feb. 8, 2016 to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for contempt..
Justice Peter Lifu gave the order in a ruling he delivered in a post-judgment case of wrongful dismissal of Sgt. Atabo Okpanashi.
“The I-G thinks that he is a big fish and has refused to obey
the order of the court and has not even sent a representative
or any apologies all through the case. “He feels he can do
anything with impunity.
“With this new era of change, one would have thought that the
I-G, being a number one law enforcer, would have known that
he is not above the law and must comply with court orders.
“By the rules of the court, my oath of office and regulations of
the National Judicial Council, I order that the I-G be present
in court on Feb. 8 to show reason why an order for committal
to prison should not be made against him. “It is not good
that the Nigerian Police Force, a public institution, and the
court, another public institution, should be on a collision
course, it would create a state of anarchy.
“On Dec. 2, this court granted a short adjournment till today
for the Police institution to purge itself of contempt by
registering appearance. “The refusal of the I-G to appear
before the court after several notices were served on him is
the height of impunity,’’ he said.
Recall that Okpanashi had sued the Police before the court
over his wrongful dismissal and had demanded payment of all
his entitlements and emoluments. On May 13, 2014, the court
had in a judgment ordered the reinstatement of the sergeant
and the payment of all his entitlements and emoluments.
The court had held that Okpanashi was wrongfully dismissed
in July 2009 on the purported allegations of discreditable
conduct, breach of contract and corrupt practices leveled
against him by the Police.
More than one and half year after the judgment, the Police
Service Commission had complied with the court by
reinstating Okpanashi on Dec. 8. The I-G had, however, failed
to effect the payments of Okpanashi’s entitlements thereby
resulting in the post judgment case.
