A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has on Monday ruled in favour of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and the Nigeria Police Force over the power tussle between the IGP and the Police Service Commission (PSC) on the right to recruit 10,000 police into the Nation’s police force.
The Sitting Judge on the case, Inyang Ekwo dismissed the PSC’s suit on lack of merit, says the defendants indeed have the right to recruit the 10,000 police constables.
Ekwo ruled that the Nigeria Police Force Regulations signed by the Nigerian President in 1968 with accordance with the provisions of section 46 of the Police Act of 1967 indeed gave the defendants the power to do so.
He noted that the PSC by law of establishment could only appoint constables after enlistment exercise had been carried out by the NPF
Ekwo said it was the PSC that was attempting to usurp the NPF’s power because section 71 of the Nigeria Police Service Regulations gave the power to enlist constables to the Police council under the control of the IGP.
He noted that the Civil Service Rules cited by the PSC in defining the meaning of “appointment” to include “recruitment” did not apply to the NPF, because it is not a civil servant.
PSC had on September 24 filed a petition against the IGP, NPF and the ministry of police affairs challenging the authority of the defendants on the recruitment of 10,000 police officers.
The commission prayed the court for an order to stop the defendants from appointing, recruiting or attempting to appoint any person into any office of the NPF.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94