A Federal High Court in Abuja has set aside its order committing Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), Usman Baba to three months imprisonment for contempt.
The court had on November 29 sentenced the IGP to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon also convicted the IGP, following a suit filed by Patrick Okoli, a former police officer, who claims he was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigeria Police Force.
But the IGP has filed a motion seeking an order to set aside the contempt proceedings and committal order on the grounds that he had not been appointed into office when the case was instituted.
He also said official steps were taken by his predecessors to comply with the reinstatement order of the plaintiff.
In her ruling on Wednesday, Justice Olajuwon said there was evidence before the court that the IGP had substantially complied with the order directing the reinstatement of Okoli who was compulsorily retired from the force.
Consequently, the judge held that the application of the IGP “is worthy of sympathetic consideration”.
The judge then said, “In view of the substantial compliance with the order of the court and the assurance of ensuring full compliance, the order committing the applicant, inspector-general of police, Usman Alkali Baba, is hereby set aside.”
, Usman Baba to three months){kind=link}