Police Force: Retd DIG sues PSC, demands reinstatement, ₦550m damages

A compulsorily retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Moses Jitoboh, has prayed the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja to declare his retirement by the Police Service Commission before his mandatory 60 years retirement age or 35 years in service, as wrongful, unconstitutional, and unlawful.

Jitoboh, in his statement of claims filed before the court, further described his compulsory retirement as a flagrant violation of Rule 020810 of the Public Service Rules and Section 18 (8) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, respectively.

The PSC had in a statement on Monday, August 28, 2023, announced the retirement of DIG Jitoboh and three others on the grounds of upholding police tradition of retiring officers when a junior police officer is promoted over senior officers to avoid ‘status reversal’.

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Meanwhile, retired DIG Jitoboh is also praying for an order of the court directing the PSC to pay the sum of ₦500bmillion only as general damages for the unwarranted embarrassment caused by the purported termination of his employment as he had been portrayed to be a disloyal officer.

He is also asking for another sum of ₦50 million as the cost of prosecuting the ongoing action.

Jitoboh, in his statement of claims, maintained that he was and remains an officer of the Nigeria Police Force until the 10th day of June, 2029 when he would have attained 35 years in service and duly retire, and that he is therefore entitled to his salaries, emoluments and all other paraphernalia of office due to him.

The compulsorily retired DIG is also seeking the declaration of the National Industrial Court that pursuant to Section 4 (3) of the Police Service Commission Act, 2001 the defendant (PSC) has no valid board to take any decision whatsoever purporting to retire or promote any police officer as the PSC Board tenure elapsed in July of 2023.