The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, has scheduled March 17 for a ruling in the case filed by officers from Courses 18, 19, and 20 of the Nigeria Police Academy.
The officers are challenging their forced retirement from the Nigeria Police Force, a decision they argue is unjust.
The suit, filed against the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Inspector General of Police, and the Force Secretary, is led by a group of officers including ACP Chinedu Emengaha, ACP Victor Chilaka, ACP Egwu Otu, CSP Sylvester Ebosele, CSP Sunday Okuguni, CSP Asuquo Inyang, CSP Kalu Chikozie, and CSP Adetu Omoteso, among others. The plaintiffs filed the suit both individually and collectively, seeking justice for their premature retirement.
The claimants are specifically asking the court to issue an interlocutory injunction preventing the defendants from retiring any officers who have not yet served 35 years of pensionable service or reached the mandatory retirement age of 60. Additionally, the officers are requesting the court to restrain the defendants from suspending their salaries or altering their postings while the case is being heard.
Their counsel, Edwin Okoro, has argued that previous court judgments already resolved the issue of the officers’ first appointment date, which should be the date listed in their original appointment letters. The plaintiffs are asking the court to rule that this appointment date should not be subject to review by the defendants.
Among the claims, the plaintiffs are seeking the following declarations and orders:
- A declaration that their first appointment date, as stated in their appointment letters, is final and cannot be revised by the defendants.
- A ruling that officers who have not yet completed 35 years of service or reached the age of 60 are exempt from the decision made by the PSC on January 31, 2025, which approved the immediate retirement of officers meeting these criteria.
- An order preventing the defendants from overturning the valid and enforceable judgments of the National Industrial Court, delivered by Justice O. Oyewunmi in 2021, which has already been implemented.
- An injunction barring the defendants from unlawfully reviewing the officers’ appointment dates or prematurely retiring them before reaching the mandatory retirement age.
During the last court session, Justice R. B. Haastrup had initially scheduled the ruling for March 11, but it was postponed as the judgment was not ready. The case will now be heard on March 17. Additionally, the judge directed that hearing notices be served to the second and third defendants, who were absent from the courtroom.
Chief Goddy Uche (SAN), representing the claimants, informed the court that the second and third defendants had allegedly reduced the ranks of some of the claimants and retired them from service while the case was still pending.
Despite their absence, the judge noted that the defendants had previously informed the court they would be unavailable for the ruling due to another matter beyond the court’s jurisdiction, a request the court had granted.
The ruling on March 17 will be crucial for determining the future of the affected officers and may set a significant precedent for similar cases within the Nigeria Police Force.
