The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned till November 20 for the Police Service Commission (PSC) to respond to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF)’s counter-affidavit in a suit to stop the recruitment of 10, 000 police officers.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who adjourned the case on the instance of the PSC, said the development was to allow its counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, to respond to the counter-affidavit.
Justice Ekwo, therefore, adjourned till November 20 for continuation of the matter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PSC had taken the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to court over the recruitment of 10,000 constables.
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In the motion on notice filed on September 24, the commission is praying the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from ”appointing, recruiting or attempting to appoint or recruit by any means whatsoever any person into any office by the NPF pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
While the PSC is the plaintiff, the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Muhammed Adamu, the NPF and the AGF are defendants in the case.
Justice Ekwo had, on November 4, ordered the parties in the case to maintain status quo in respect of the earlier interim order issued against the recruitment exercise.
NAN reports that on October 23, the judge ordered parties in the suit challenging the recruitment to stay any action in the interim.
Ekwo held that this was necessary since parties have submitted themselves to court for settlement of the matter.
The judge gave the order after Counsel to the PSC, Barth Ogar, who held brief for Agabi, told Justice Ekwo that in spite of the court’s order restraining the I-G from continue with the recruitment exercise, the police had gone ahead with the process.
“My Lord, the police has gone ahead to carry out the recruitment exercise in spite of the court’s order.
”The recruited officers have been asked to report to various Police Training Schools in the country,’’ he said. (NAN)