An Abuja-based lawyer, Maxwell Okpara, has asked the Federal Court sitting in the federal capital territory (FCT) to stop Mohammed Adamu from parading himself as the inspector-general of police (IGP).
Naija News reports that Adamu who attained the mandatory 35 years of service was supposed to have stepped down on Monday.
But this online newspaper reported that Adamu was at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport on Tuesday to receive President Buhari who returned to Abuja after a four-day trip to his hometown Daura, Katsina State.
In the suit, with number FHC/ABJ/CS/106/2021, Okpara is challenging Adamu’s stay in office as IGP beyond February 1, 2021, when he ought to have retired.
He listed Adamu, Buhari, The attorney-general of the federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami and the police council as defendants in the suit.
“That the second defendant though, no longer a serving police officer, continued to function as the Inspector-General of Police, sitting in the office of the Inspector-General of Police and adorning the official uniform of an Inspector-General of Police,” part of the suit read.
“Whether the failure of the president and the Nigeria Police Council to appoint an IG on February 1, 2021 does not constitute an abdication of their duties under Section 215 of the Constitution and Section 7 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020.”
He asked for an order restraining Adamu from “parading himself as IG or exercising any form of command or control over the Nigeria Police Force not being a serving police officer”.
He also prayed for another order mandating Buhari and the police council to immediately appoint a new IGP in line with the provisions of section 7 of the Police Act.