Court Orders Police to Hire Over 22,000 Constables and Settle Four Years of Salary Arrears
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) to issue employment letters to more than 22,000 constables across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The court also ruled that the constables be paid outstanding salary arrears dating back to 2021.
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday by Justice Rakiya Haastrup, the court ordered the defendants to pay each constable N54,566 per month, covering the period from January 2021 to May 2024. The ruling came after a suit was filed on behalf of the constables by legal counsel Senastine Hon (SAN).
In addition to the salary payment, the court ordered that the constables, who had already been trained, equipped with uniforms and boots, and deployed across various states and the FCT, be formally issued employment letters and certificates of engagement.
The constables had sued the police over their failure to pay the agreed monthly stipends, despite their active involvement in community policing and intelligence gathering for the past four years. The plaintiffs presented evidence to show that when they were recruited, they had been promised monthly stipends in line with the basic allowance of a constable in the Nigerian Police Force.
Contrary to claims by the police that their services were voluntary, the constables argued that their work was contractual and that the police’s refusal to pay them had placed undue financial strain on them, leaving them unable to meet basic living needs. The constables also highlighted the hazardous nature of their work, with seven members having lost their lives in the line of duty.
Justice Haastrup concurred with the plaintiffs, agreeing that a contractual employment relationship existed between the constables and the police. She ruled that, as per the agreement, the constables were entitled to their monthly stipends. Although the police had not fixed an exact stipend amount, the court determined that the constables should receive the basic allowance of N54,566 per month until the IGP sets the appropriate amount.
The court also gave the IGP two months to determine the final stipend amount and instructed that the constables be issued formal letters of appointment, given their training, deployment, and provision of necessary work equipment.
Following the judgment, Senastine Hon appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure the constables are paid for the vital services they have rendered to the nation.
