Court dismisses suit seeking sack of IGP, Alkali Baba Usman

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

Justice James Omotoso of a Federal High Court Abuja, has discarded a suit seeking to sack Alkali Baba Usman as the Inspector General of Police IGP.
The Plaintiff in the suit, an Abuja activist, Micheal Sam Idoko dragged President Muhammadu Buhari to court over IG’s continues stay in office after retirement.
In his judgment, Justice Omotoso invoked section 7 (6) of the Police Act 2020, that pegged the tenure of office of any Inspector General of Police at four years.
Justice Omotoso stated that the retirement of Alkali Baba Usman from the Nigeria Police Force has nothing to do with his appointment on the ground that the four years tenure is sacrosanct.
The court further held that the plaintiff who claimed to be a social crusader has no jurisdiction in instituting the case under the guise of public interest.
He held that the plaintiff failed to establish having any peculiar or special interest over and above other Nigerians.
Specifically, Justice Omotoso described the plaintiff as a busy body and meddlesome interloper adding that he was not a serving police officer qualified for appointment or ever applied for IGP’s position and denied adding that he has no legal in law in filing the suit.
Idoko, through his Counsel, Chief James Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, had filed the suit challenging the legality of the continuous stay of the IGP in office having served out his tenure.
The suit marked FHC/ CS/ 31/2023 was subsequently dismissed without any cost against the plaintiff.