Court orders PSC to pay N40m to Mbu over ‘unlawful retirement’

The National Industrial Court (NIC) has ordered the Police Service Commission (PSC) to pay N40 million to Mbu Joseph Mbu, a retired assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG).

Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, the judge, ruled that the retirement of Mbu through a press release in 2016 was “unlawful and unconstitutional”.

In July 2016, the PSC announced the retirement of Mbu and 20 officers who ranked higher than Ibrahim Idris, then IGP.

Idris was appointed on June 21, 2016 following the retirement of Solomon Arase, who clocked the mandatory age of 60.

Displeased by the decision of the PSC, Mbu approached the industrial court for redress.

In her ruling on Monday, the judge nullified the retirement of the claimant and ruled that Mbu remained an officer of the Nigeria police force until he attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 on May 10, 2018.

The judge ordered that the sum of N750,000 be paid to the claimant as cost of the suit and that failure to comply with the orders of the court within 30 days will attract a 10 percent interest per annum.

She declined the claimant’s relief that he should be promoted to the position of deputy inspector-general of police.

Obaseki-Osaghae ruled that since the defendant abandoned its case, some of the claimant’s prayers should be granted.

She said the claimant proved his case on its strength through credible evidence without relying on the weakness of the defendant.