The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the reinstatement of 455 senior police officers, dismissing an appeal filed by the Police Service Commission against an earlier ruling that voided their retirement.
In its judgment delivered on Wednesday, the appellate court affirmed the decision of the National Industrial Court, which had declared the retirement of the officers unlawful and ordered their immediate return to service.
The case, marked CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/1829MI/2025, was filed between the Police Service Commission and ACP Chinedu Ambrose Emengaha alongside eight others.
The National Industrial Court, in a judgment delivered on September 30, 2025, by Justice R.B. Haastrup, had directed the reinstatement of the affected officers and ordered payment of their salaries and allowances.
The lower court also restrained the commission and the then Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, from taking any further steps connected to the officers’ retirement.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, the Police Service Commission and police leadership separately approached the Court of Appeal.
However, a three-member panel of Justices Okorowo, Banjoko and Abang dismissed the commission’s appeal and upheld the lower court’s ruling in full.
The judgment followed an earlier decision on March 16, 2026, when the same court struck out a separate appeal by the Inspector-General of Police and the Force Secretary, describing it as frivolous.
The controversy began after the Police Service Commission, alongside Egbetokun, retired the 455 officers on January 31, 2025.
The move triggered criticism within the Nigeria Police Force, with concerns that the retirements lacked lawful basis.
Among those affected were senior officers including AIG Idowu Owohunwa, AIG Ben Igwe and DCP Simon Lough.
The officers later sought redress at the National Industrial Court, which granted all reliefs sought in their favour.
Legal observers say the latest judgment has effectively settled the long-running dispute over the date of first appointment of Cadet ASP Courses 18, 19 and 20 entrants into the Nigeria Police Force.
Stakeholders have since urged the current Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the Police Service Commission to implement the court’s directives without delay.
