Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon has sentenced the IGP Usman Baba to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.
The police service commission had previously recommended Okoli’s reinstatement into the force and this decision which was reaffirmed by the court was ignored by the IGP who refused to comply.
The court also ordered the payment of N10million to Mr Okoli , being special and general damages for the unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional denial of his rights and privileges as a Senior Officer of the Nigeria Police Force from 1993 till date.
The ruling was issued at the federal high court in Abuja today following the IGP’s refusal to reinstate Patrick Okoli who was allegedly unlawfully forced to retire from the police force.
The Judge held that if the IGP fails to obey the order it made since October 21, 2011, he will remain in custody for another period.
“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 and until he purges his contempt”, the court held.
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