Dismissed Akwa Ibom police officers seek reinstatement and unpaid salaries
Five former police officers from Akwa Ibom State are calling for their reinstatement and the payment of salaries and allowances they say are owed to them. The officers—Sunday Okon, Anthony Ebong, Joseph Ede, Victor Ebe, and Uduak Sampson—were dismissed after four years of service, despite having completed their training. Their spokesperson, Victor Ibe, said a court ordered their reinstatement and payment of arrears, but the judgment has not been enforced. The group is appealing to lawmakers, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, for help.
What happened
- Five officers joined the police in 2003 and were dismissed in 2007 for alleged illiteracy, despite being certified.
- The officers took the matter to court, which ruled in their favor and ordered their reinstatement and payment of arrears.
- The judgment stated that their dismissal was unlawful and that they should be reinstated at the ranks they would have attained.
- The court ordered the payment of salaries and allowances from January 2007 until the date of reinstatement.
- Despite the court ruling, the officers say nothing has been done to enforce it, and they continue to face hardship.
