The Force Headquarters has denied media reports that the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba has been sacked by a Federal High Court judgment in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
OsunDaily News reported that the presiding judge, Justice Fatun Riman had declared that the appointment and stay in office of the police boss is illegal, having attained the constitutional retirement age of 60 years in March 2023.
The court also ordered Baba to stop parading himself as the IGP and ordered the President to convene a meeting of the Nigeria Police Council to appoint a new police boss who will hold office for four years.
But in a statement on Monday titled, “IGP Not Sacked, Disregard Trending False News”, the Police Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, asked Nigerians to ignore the news regarding the sack of the police boss.
Adejobi stated that the IGP still has the right to appeal the judgment, hence the news of his sack is false, unfounded, and perceived to be the handiwork of mischief makers.
The police spokesman described the IGP’s four-year tenure as sacrosanct, stressing that his retirement as the IGP had nothing to do with age or years of service.
The statement reads, ‘The Nigeria Police wishes to urge the general public to disregard the false news making the rounds on social media alleging the sack of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba by a Federal High Court in Awka.
“The said judgment is subject to appeal and the alleged news is thus false, unfounded, and perceived to be the handiwork of mischief makers.
“IGP Alkali was appointed in a letter-number SGF.20/S.6/83 dated 30th Nov 2021 for a 4-year tenure and his stay in office is within the purview of his appointment.
“It is imperative to note that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, dismissed a suit that sought to compel the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Alkali Baba, to vacate his office on March 1, 2023.
“The Federal High Court, in the judgment delivered by Justice J. K. Omotosho, held that going by the provision of Section 7 (6) of the Police Act, 2020, anyone appointed as the IGP has a statutorily recognized four-year tenure.
“It described the IGP’s four-year tenure as sacrosanct, stressing that his retirement as the IGP had nothing to do with age or years of service.
“It is pertinent to state that maintaining the four-year period for individuals appointed as IGP is being institutionalized by the provisions of the law, not on personal grounds to favour an individual, but for the general betterment of the Nigeria Police Force.
“Consequently, members of the public are on this notice advised to ignore the false news making the rounds on social media.
“IGP Usman Alkali Baba remains the Inspector-General of Police and is duty-bound to execute the responsibilities of the office in accordance with extant laws.
“Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police reaffirms the commitment of the Inspector-General of Police to the improvement of policing services within the country as well as the entrenchment of professionalism and community-oriented policing.”
