The Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Nigeria Police Service Commission have been ordered to pay Police Constabularies about forty months salaries arrears.
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria which issued the order directed that each of the Constabularies be paid N54, 566 per month from January 2021 to May 2024.
Justice Rakiya Haastrup gave the order on Wednesday while delivering judgment in a suit instituted by the Constabularies against the IGP and the Police Service Commission.
Apart from the salary payment, the Judge also ordered that letters of employment and Certificate of engagement be issued to the Constabularies having trained them, provided them with uniforms, boots and lawfully deployed them to the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT.
The suit was instituted by a Senior Advocate of Nigerian SAN, Sebastine Hon on behalf of the constabularies.
The plaintiffs who were trained and engaged on community policing through intelligence gathering had through their lawyer sued the police for refusing to pay them their monthly stipends despite making them serve the nation diligently for the past four years.
Contrary to the claims of Police that the services of the constabularies were voluntary, the plaintiffs claimed and tendered documents showing that at the time of their engagement, the police had agreed to give them monthly stipends commensurate to the basic allowance of a constable in the Nigeria police force.
The constabularies alleged that the action of police in denying them the stipends was not only unlawful but had put their lives in jeopardy as they could no longer meet with basic needs of life.
They, therefore, urged the court that having been lawfully engaged by police, they are entitled to the monthly stipends to enable them perform their duties effectively and diligently.
Besides, they claimed that due to hazardous nature of the jobs, seven of their members have died.
In her judgment, Justice Rakiya Haastrup agreed with Sebastine Hon SAN that the plaintiffs have established that there is a contractual agreement of employment relationship between them and police.
The Judge held that based on the agreement, the plaintiffs are entitled to the monthly stipends for their job.
She observed that the exact amount to be paid as stipends was not fixed by police but however held that the plaintiffs are entitled to the basic allowance of N54, 655 monthly pending when the IGP will fix their monthly allowance.
Besides, the Judge ordered the IGP to fix the amount due to the plaintiffs within two months of delivery of the judgment.
Similarly, the Judge ordered that the constabularies be issued with letters of appointment having trained them, equipped them, issued them with uniforms and identity cards and deployed them to the states of the federation and the FCT.
Responding to the judgment, counsel to the constabularies, Sebastine Hon SAN appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the IGP to pay the then owing to the services they are rendering to the country.
