Five dismissed policemen from Akwa Ibom State have appealed to the National Assembly to intervene in their prolonged dismissal from service, despite a court order mandating their reinstatement and payment of salary arrears.
The affected officers — Sunday Okon, Anthony Ebong, Joseph Ede, Victor Ibe, and Uduak Sampson — were recruited into the Nigeria Police Force in 2003 but were dismissed in 2007 on grounds of alleged illiteracy, a claim they maintain contradicts their training and certification.
Speaking in Uyo, their spokesman, Victor Ibe, said the officers had exhausted administrative channels before approaching the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which ruled in their favour in 2019.
According to Ibe, the court declared their dismissal unlawful and ordered their immediate reinstatement, alongside payment of all outstanding salaries, allowances, and entitlements dating back to 2007.
“The court ruled that our disengagement was null and void and directed that we be reinstated to the ranks we would have attained, with full payment of arrears,” he said.
However, the officers stated that seven years after the judgment, the ruling has yet to be implemented, leaving them without employment or compensation.
They have called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Aniekan Bassey, and other federal lawmakers from the state to ensure compliance with the court’s directive.
The officers also alleged selective reinstatement, claiming that some dismissed colleagues were returned to service due to personal connections, while others remain excluded.
The case underscores persistent concerns over enforcement of labour-related court judgments within Nigeria’s public service, particularly in matters involving wrongful dismissal and unpaid entitlements.
