Alkali Baba Usman, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), has been charged with contempt of court.
Usman could be imprisoned for allegedly violating a citizen’s fundamental human rights.
This is due to the police’s failure to comply with the order on the violation of the rights of Justin Maduagwu, Managing Director of the Nigeria-Ukraine Chamber of Friendship Culture and Commerce.
Malachy Nwaekpe, Maduagwu’s counsel, filed a notice of contempt under Form 48 on December 13 to compel the IGP to comply with a December 14, 2017 court order ordering him to pay Maduagwu N91,452,750.
Usman, the IGP, was not in command of the Nigeria Police Force when the order was issued.
The court awarded N81.4 million in damages and N10 million in costs for the applicant’s property that was “unlawfully and compulsorily confiscated, seized, and acquired” by the police.
In a judgment on fundamental rights enforcement issued on December 14, 2017, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the applicant’s detention for seven days without charge and seizure of his property violated sections 35 and 44 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
In a letter signed by the Director of the Citizens Rights Department, F.K. Kebu, and received on June 21, 2018, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice advised the IGP to comply with the judgment by “preventing a continuous increase of the judgment debt.”
Earlier this year, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced the IGP to prison for contempt.
On November 29, 2022, the court sentenced the IGP to three months in prison for failing to comply with an earlier order directing the reinstatement of Patrick Okoli, who had been compulsorily retired as a police officer.
The Federal High Court later dismissed the case.