The Court of Appeal has dismissed a challenge by the Police Service Commission (PSC) against the reinstatement of 455 senior officers compulsorily retired last year, solidifying a lower court’s ruling that deemed the move unlawful.
The unanimous decision by Justices Okorowo, Banjoko, and Abang upheld a September 30, 2025, judgment from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja.
That court, led by Justice R.B. Haastrup, invalidated the January 31, 2025, retirement exercise conducted by the PSC and then-Inspector General Kayode Egbetokun, calling it illegal and unjustified.
The NICN ordered the officers’ immediate reinstatement, payment of back salaries and allowances, and barred further retirement attempts.
NewsQuest reports that the case stemmed from a suit by ACP Chinedu Ambrose Emengaha and others (NICN/ABJ/28/2025), which spotlighted the controversial mass retirement of high-ranking personnel, including AIG Idowu Owohunwa, AIG Ben Igwe, and DCP Simon Lough (SAN).
The PSC’s appeal (CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/1829MI/2025) followed separate, earlier dismissals, including a March 16, 2026, ruling striking down a similar challenge by Egbetokun and the force secretary as frivolous.
The verdict resolves disputes over appointment dates for Cadet ASP Courses 18, 19, and 20 from the Nigeria Police Academy, delivering what legal observers call a sharp check on administrative excess and a win for rule-of-law principles in policing.
Stakeholders pressed current Inspector General Olatunji Disu and the PSC for swift compliance, hoping to boost morale and sidestep past leadership’s pitfalls.
