APP takes Buhari, PSC, others to court over IGP’s tenure | Nairalaw

Action Peoples Party, APP, has dragged President Muhammadu
Buhari, Police Service Commission, PSC, to the Federal High Court,
Abuja, urging it to declare that “any person or an officer of the
Nigeria Police Force, who has attained the retirement age of 60
years or 35 years of service cannot be deemed to be a serving
member of the Nigeria Police Force, for the purposes of being
appointed or re-appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, as an
Inspector General of Police”.

Other defendants in the suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/1570/2018, include the
Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr.
Ibrahim Kpotun Idris.

The first national Spokesman of Coalition of United Political
Parties, CUPP, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, made the copy of the court
process available to newsmen yesterday, during a press conference
in Owerri.

According to the court process, the plaintiff prayed the court
to declare that upon the attainment of the mandatory retirement age
of 60 years of service in the police by January 3, 2019, Mr. Idris
cannot be deemed or taken to be a serving member of the Nigeria
Police Force.

The other prayers sought by the plaintiff included: “A
declaration that the fourth defendant (Mr. Idris), being due for
statutory retirement by January 3, 2019,, when he would have
attained 60 years, is due to immediately proceed on one month
pre-retirement leave.

“An Order of Court, directing and compelling the fourth
defendant (Idris) to immediately proceed on one month
pre-retirement leave forthwith.

“An order of perpetual injunction, restraining the first
defendant (Buhari), from further re-appointing or in any other way,
extending the tenure of the fourth defendant (Idris) in office, as
the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force.”

Explaining why the opposition approached the court, Ugochinyere
said that extending the IGP’s tenure, after reaching the
constitutional retirement age, “is a violation of the
Constitution.”

“The plot to retain the IGP after retirement, is Buhari/APC last
minute desperate attempt to politicise the Police Force and use
security forces to thwart the electoral will of Nigerians”,
Ugochinyere said.

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