Appeal Court Upholds Reinstatement of 455 Retired Police Officers

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has affirmed the reinstatement of 455 Senior Police Officers whose compulsory retirement was earlier nullified by the National Industrial Court, bringing closure to a prolonged legal dispute within the Nigeria Police Force.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday April 15, the appellate court dismissed an appeal filed by the Police Service Commission, thereby upholding the lower court’s ruling which described the Officers’ retirement as unlawful and unjustified.

The case, marked CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/1829MI/2025, involved the Police Service Commission and ACP Chinedu Ambrose Emengaha alongside eight others who challenged their retirement from service.

The National Industrial Court, in its earlier judgment delivered on September 30, 2025, by Justice R.B. Haastrup, had ordered the immediate reinstatement of the affected officers. It also directed that all outstanding salaries and allowances be paid, while restraining the commission and the then Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, from taking any further action regarding the retirements.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, both the Police Service Commission and the police leadership approached the Court of Appeal. However, the appellate panel—comprising Justices Okorowo, Banjoko, and Abang—dismissed the commission’s appeal in its entirety.

The decision followed an earlier ruling on March 16, 2026, in which the same court struck out a separate appeal filed by the Inspector-General of Police and the Force Secretary, describing it as frivolous.

The controversy originated from the decision taken on January 31, 2025, by the Police Service Commission in conjunction with the then IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, to retire 455 senior officers. The move sparked widespread criticism within the force, with allegations that due process was not followed.

Among those affected were high-ranking officers, including AIG Idowu Owohunwa, AIG Ben Igwe, and DCP Simon Lough.

The aggrieved Officers subsequently filed suit NICN/ABJ/28/2025 at the National Industrial Court, seeking redress over what they described as their unlawful and premature retirement. The court granted all reliefs sought, a position now fully validated by the Court of Appeal.

Legal analysts note that the judgment has effectively settled lingering disputes over the appointment dates of officers from Cadet ASP Courses 18, 19, and 20.

Reactions have continued to trail the ruling, with stakeholders expressing hope that the current Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, alongside the Police Service Commission, will comply fully with the court’s directive.