Court temporarily halts police recruitment exercise

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday temporarily halted the recruitment process by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), pending the hearing and determination of the suit challenging the exercise by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

The trial Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo who ordered parties in the suit before the court to maintain status-quo antebellum (Stay further action), warned parties not to take any further action till November 4, 2019, when the court will hear the matter.

According to the Judge, “All parties must obey the rule of law and stay within bar until the matter is determined since the matter is now before the court and parties have submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of the court.

Earlier in his submission, counsel to the NPF, Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), kicked against the directive of the court that status-quo be maintained.

Izinyon said the court cannot give such directive now that the recruitment has been concluded and the list of successful candidates has been released.

He argued that the PSC was aware of the exercise and even gave approval for the recruitment, which had been concluded.

Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), who represented the PSC, in his submission, told the court that it will be an embarrassment to the nation if what was done by the NPF is considered a nullity.

Justice Ekwo, after listening to submissions of counsel, ordered that “parties in the matter should not to go beyond what it is now, until the hearing and determination of the suit.”

The Judge had earlier added the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as a party in the matter.

PSC, in its motion on notice prayed for an interlocutory injunction restraining the NPF, its officers and representatives, including anybody or person acting on their behalf from appointing recruiting or attempting to appoint or recruit by any means, whatsoever any person into any office in the Police pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

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The PSC told the court that by virtue of the provisions of section 153 subsection (1) (m), section 153 subsection (2) and section 215 subsection (1)[b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Paragraph 30 Part 1 of the 3rd Schedule to the Constitution as well as Sections 6 and 24 of the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act, the Plaintiff/Applicant is the sole statutory body vested with the exclusive powers to appoint, promote, dismiss and discipline persons holding offices in the 1st Defendant except the office of the Inspector General of Police.

The Commission said the Defendants/Respondents is authorised by law to play any role in the appointment, promotion, dismissal or exercise of disciplinary measures over persons holding or aspiring to hold offices in the 1st Defendant.

It would be recalled that the PSC dissociated itself from the purported list of candidates scheduled for training and allegedly released by the NPF in respect of the recruitment exercise into the Constable cadre of the Force.

A statement by the spokesman of the Commission, Ikechukwu Ani, said the list released by the Police was an act of illegality and was in serious breach of the Federal Character requirements.

The Commission urged the public to be wary of the list as it will soon resume the remaining stages of the recruitment process and release the authentic list of successful candidates, local government by local government.

The Commission accused the Police of hijacking its constitutional powers to recruit.

Ani said: “It is unfortunate that despite the pendency of the Court processes, the Nigeria Police Force went ahead to release a purported list of candidates it has invited for training.

“The commission wishes to state that the list is unknown to it as it believes it is a product of illegality”, he added.