The police commander in Nigeria was given a three-month prison term for defying a previous order to restore an officer who had fought for years to have his job back.
Since 1992, Patrick Okoli has fought against being forced into retirement.
In 2011, a judge eventually gave him the victory by ordering his restoration.
But because the directive was disobeyed, the High Court has now taken a harsh stance against the police commissioner, Inspector General Usman Alkali Baba.
It has decided that he should either be jailed for contempt of court or have the officer put back in his position.
It is unknown how old Mr. Okoli is today or what led to what a judge described as his “unlawful retirement.”
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi responded to the verdict by saying that it was “astonishing to learn” about his boss’s imprisonment considering that he took over as force leader in 2021, almost three decades after Mr. Okoli was “dismissed.”
Before choosing what kind of action to pursue, the police department was examining the judgment, he continued.
The case in question involved an officer who was fired as early as 1992, just a few years after the present IGP joined the Nigerian Police Force, Mr. Aejobi stated.
