A police officer, Funke Jimoh, has sued the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission in a Federal High Court in Abuja, for allegedly violating her right to medical attention. According to an affidavit submitted by Ms. Jimoh in court, she was participating in a mandatory police cross country race training exercise at the Eleyele Police Training School in Ibadan, Oyo state, in July 2000, when she suffered a hip injury.
Her femoral head, which is the highest part of the bone between the hip and the knee joint, was damaged. She received treatment at a police clinic at the time. In February 2011, Ms. Jimoh claims that the injury flared up again, and she was referred from the clinic to University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, which advised her to seek medical treatment abroad to get a femoral head replacement. She wrote a letter through the commissioner of police, Oyo State, to the inspector-general of police to provide financial assistance for a surgical operation in Germany as recommended by UCH, but was surprised by the force’s response.
“To my utter dismay, instead of the defendants to accede to my request by providing financial assistance for my medical treatment abroad, the defendants on 16 August, 2004 discharged me from the force on medical grounds without any compensation whatsoever.”
The plaintiff also claimed that the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, after an investigation, concluded in a report that she was wrongfully discharged from the force, and the committee passed a resolution for her reinstatement, along with the payment of her entitlements and the provision of adequate medical attention. So far, according to the plaintiff, the police has ignored the committee’s resolution...
Search for reinstatement
Ms. Jimoh is seeking a declaration from the court stating that the refusal of the defendants to provide medical treatment for the replacement of her femoral head, which was damaged while taking part in a police exercise, is illegal and unconstitutional according to Article 16 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights Ratification and Enforcement Act. She is also seeking a declaration stating that the refusal of the defendants to pay her salary and allowances from August 16, 2004 is illegal and unconstitutional. Other requests include an order directing the defendants to provide the plaintiff with medical treatment at the University Teaching Hospital/Clinic in Ulm, Germany, and an order directing the defendants to immediately effect the payment of all arrears owed to the plaintiff. The presiding judge, Abdul Kafarati, adjourned the matter until March 9 for hearing.
