Police Recruitment: Court Backs IGP

Malik Yahya/

Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the suit challenging the ongoing recruitment exercise of 10,000 police constables by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu.

Delivering judgement today, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that it is the Police Service Council under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police that is statutorily empowered to enlist constables into the force.

The judge dismissed the suit brought by the Police Service Commission (PSC), challenging the power of the IGP to recruit personnel into the force for lack of merit.

The judge held that PSC has been unable to prove that the recruitment usurps its powers.

“Consequently, I hold that (it is) the police council under the Inspector General of Police that has the power to carry out recruitment into the police force. I hereby make an order dismissing the case for lacking in merit,” the judge ruled.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) had taken the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force to court over the recruitment of 10,000 constables as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The suit with the number, FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2019, was filed by the plaintiff’s counsel, Kanu Agabi.

The defendants in the suit are the Nigeria Police Force (first), the IGP (second), the Minister of Police Affairs (third) and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (fourth).

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