The Federal High Court Sitting in Ado-Ekiti has dismissed the suit by the Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda, challenging the dismissal of an unmarried pregnant police officer by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The policewoman, Omolola Olajide, was dismissed in February this year from the force for being six months pregnant while still single and unofficially married.
Fapohunda, in the suit marked, FHC/AD/CS/8/2021 sought an order of the court to nullify Section 127 of the Police Act and Regulations, which provides for the discharge from the Police Force female officers who become pregnant while married unofficially.
Joined as co-defendants in the suit are the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police and the Police Service Commission (PSC).
The police counsel, Femi Falade, had while adopting his written address in July asked the court to dismiss the suit instituted by the commissioner for justice against the IGP on the premise that the AG lacks the locus standi to challenge the decision of the police to dismiss the officer, adding that “the fact that the dismissed policewoman is from Ekiti does not coffer on the AG the standing to file the suit.”
Also, the IGP counsel said that the victim had filed a suit over her dismissal at the Industrial Court in Akure in February and that it would amount to an abuse of court processes to grant the prayers of the plaintiff in view of the one at the industrial court.
Justice Babs Kuewumi while delivering his judgement on Thursday agreed with the defence counsel that the suit is an abuse of court process considering the same has been filled at the industrial court in Akure.
The presiding judge noted that his court lacked jurisdiction on the matter.
Justice Kuewumi, however, ruled in favour of the attorney general on the rights of the plaintiff to institute a civil case against the IGP on the dismissal of the policewoman, which lays to rest the objection by the police counsel on the matter.
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