Court Halts Reinstatement of 455 Retired Policemen

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has restrained the police authorities from implementing the reinstatement of 455 senior police officers who were compulsorily retired in January 2025.

Justice Buhari Sani, in a ruling delivered on September 22, granted an interim injunction preventing the affected authorities from implementing, enforcing or giving effect to the decision approving the officers’ reinstatement pending the hearing of an application for interlocutory injunction.

The suit, marked NICN/KN/51/2026, followed an application by Advocacy for Human Rights and Cultural Values for Development Initiatives challenging the return of the officers to the Nigeria Police Force.

The court also ordered the parties to maintain the status quo that existed immediately before the decision to reinstate the officers.

The defendants were directed to refrain from implementing or enforcing the reinstatement of graduates of Cadet ASP Courses 18, 19 and 20 of the Nigeria Police Academy, Kano, pending the determination of the interlocutory injunction application.

The applicant was ordered to serve the court ruling, the Motion on Notice and the originating summons within three days.

The matter has been adjourned until September 30 for the hearing of the Motion on Notice.

The latest ruling comes after the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal affirmed an earlier National Industrial Court judgment ordering the reinstatement of the 455 officers.

The National Industrial Court, in a judgment delivered on September 30, 2025, had nullified their compulsory retirement and ordered their immediate reinstatement, together with payment of their salaries and allowances.

The Police Service Commission and police authorities subsequently appealed the judgment. However, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed the commission’s appeal and affirmed the lower court’s decision.

The Court of Appeal had also struck out a separate appeal filed by the Inspector-General of Police and the Force Secretary on March 16, 2026.

The dispute began after the Police Service Commission, in conjunction with the police leadership, retired the 455 senior officers on January 31, 2025.

Among those affected were Assistant Inspectors-General of Police Idowu Owohunwa and Ben Igwe, as well as Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon Lough.

The officers subsequently approached the National Industrial Court to challenge their retirement and seek reinstatement and payment of their entitlements.

The latest interim injunction has therefore placed a temporary hold on the implementation of the reinstatement order, pending the court’s consideration of the interlocutory injunction application on September 30.