Narcos isn’t the only action film going on in the police force.
It’s 2022 and, added to the fight against corruption, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is also up against fornication — among women only, that is. Yes, being unmarried and pregnant are grounds for dismissal even when you’re serving your country.
According to section 127 (also referred to as Regulation 127) of the 2006 Nigerian Police Regulations (NPR), an unmarried woman on the Police Force, who becomes pregnant shall be discharged from the Force and shall not be re-enlisted except with the approval of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The regulation insists that a female police officer must undergo post-training experience on the field for at least two years before marriage and three years before childbearing.
Let’s roll the tape on Olajide Omolola, an ex-police officer in Ekiti State.
In January 2021, she was dismissed from the force based on Regulation 127 of the 2006 Police Act, because she was pregnant while unmarried.
Next, activists from the Humanist Association of Nigeria (HAN) took to the stage and demanded the reinstatement of Omolola on the Force. This push was based on the 2019 Police Amendment Bill which describes Regulation 127 as discriminatory .
If this were a game of cards with your school guys, this is the point you’d shout, “Last card!” and end the game. Sadly, victory wasn’t in sight for Omolola.
According to the Ekiti State Police Commissioner, Mr Babatunde Mobayo, the repeal of Regulation 127 under the 2019 Police Amendment Bill had not been gazetted.
When a bill hasn’t been gazetted, it means that the bill hasn’t officially been publicised by the government. So anything you hear about a bill is hearsay until it’s in the government gazette. Essentially, the 2019 Police Amendment Bill, can’t be applied in court to overrule a decision, as in the case of Omolola.
So, as for Mobayo, the dismissal by the Nigerian Police Force was justified. For him, Omolola’s pregnancy was scandalous because it happened less than a year after graduating from the Nigerian Police Force.
Regulation 127 in the Police Act also exists for women serving in the Nigerian Army. Before Omolola, in August 2020, an unnamed soldier got dismissed from the Force after being raped by bandits in Ogbomosho. The dismissal was justified based on the offence of ‘Conduct Prejudicial to Service Discipline’ under section 103(1). Her lawyer, Barr Oyewole tried to fight this ruling, but he also had to “pick two” in this game of cards.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) took NPF to court and filed a suit against Regulation 127 as a discriminatory act. Their angle was the purpose of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution to uphold our human rights, particularly, sections 37 and 42 of the Constitution.
Here’s the summary: Section 37 guarantees every Nigerian the right to private and family life, while Section 42 provides for the right to freedom from discrimination.
There was no round to win because the defendants told the NBA to go and sit down.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Force who were listed as defendants in the suit never responded. They simply submitted a counter-affidavit and asked for a dismissal of the court case. Talk about playing with the big boys.
On Monday 21 January, Justice Iyang Ewo refused to nullify Regulation 127. The ruling states: “It is my opinion, the Regulation 127 of the Police Act is to be seen as a code of conduct for an unmarried woman in the Police Force.”
Basically, the Judge took us off-court and asked the NBA to go to “general market”, effectively closing the case.
Single Nigerian women in the Police Force — 0
Boys and girls, the moral of this story? Get your PVC.
Plus, Abba Kyari: The Way, The Truth, And The Executive Life. View this email in your browser 22- 8 – 2019 This is Zikoko’s Game of Votes Weekly Dispatch. We share the most important things that happen in Nigeria every week. 5pm Thursdays. Stay woke. 1. OF PORTFOLIOS AND MEN. Congratulations are in order for members of […]
“Nigeria, Somalia. There’s a whole African community in Minnesota.’
Nigeria? “I don’t mean to sound ridiculous. I could see a flag, I wouldn’t know what that is. Sorry to that country.”
Three days ago, there was an explosion of unknown cause in Akure. And while there have been several theories about the cause of the Akure explosion, no concrete reason has been found. Yet. Driven by the need to quickly get to the bottom of this, the government put in place some measures. Here are some […]
In this week’s #ZikokoSoYouDontHaveTo, we recapped the new Game of Thrones prequel, #HouseOfTheDragonHBO currently streaming on @ShowmaxNG. It has everything from incest to perfectly laid Targaryen blonde wigs.
Project Empower is pooling the best of minds together to help mentor and scale the businesses of young people in Nigeria.
Ice Prince Zamani has joined a long list of Nigerians accused of fighting police officers in public. The Inspector-General of Police doesn’t like the trend, so how is he addressing it?
From ‘Double wahala’ in 2018 to ‘Shine ya eye’ in 2021, BBNaija housemates have consistently fed viewers with the best peppered sauce on reality TV.
Are you curious to know who your future partner is? Plan the first date and we’ll reveal their initials.
Whether you’re the one that blocks your landlord when rent is due or the ghost tenant, this quiz will reveal the truth.
In the past month, we’ve made quizzes that guessed the last time you had sex, how many people you’ve slept with, and just how good you are in bed. For our latest attempt, we will use your taste in Nigerian music from the 2010s to ascertain what you’re like in bed. Take to find out:
While we know that a lot of the best Nigerian artists deservedly have fans across generations, that won’t stop us from attempting to guess how old you are based on your taste in Nigerian music. So, take this quiz to see if we got it right:
Are you straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual or asexual? Well, we are willing to bet that this quiz knows. Just pick a few of your favourite things and we’ll reveal your sexual orientation. Give it a shot:
Last week, we created a viral quiz that tested your knowledge on the capitals of all 54 African countries and y’all did pretty great. Now, we want to see how well you know the flags of those same countries. Give it a shot:
Are you a single pringle, stuck in a complicated situationship or happily married to the love of your life? This quiz is here to guess your current relationship status, and as you know, Zikoko quizzes are incredibly accurate (don’t quote us). So, give a shot:
Ice Prince Zamani has joined a long list of Nigerians accused of fighting police officers in public. The Inspector-General of Police doesn’t like the trend, so how is he addressing it?
This week’s #AbroadLife subject spent nine years in Canada, returned to Nigeria for nine years, and moved back to Canada in 2021. After all her tears, she’s settled in Canada again. And she has a lot to say about the dating scene there.
One of the countries that keep coming up as unsafe for Nigerians is Northern Cyprus. But why does it get such a bad rep?
It may be Tinubu’s first time on a presidential ballot, but he’s had his eyes on the throne for a long time. How did he become so entitled?
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and taking out five minutes to do any of these things can improve your life.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is undoubtedly the hottest political bride in Nigeria right now. What did we learn from his recent London tour with presidential candidates?
Nigerians have never elected a female governor, but these women are daring to break the glass ceiling at the polls in 2023.
From plastic coolers to potbellies, here are some things every Local Government oga must have.
Elections haven’t officially started in Nigeria but fake news is already pressing everyone’s neck. Whose collar do we have to hold for that?
Our subject of this week’s Abroad Life is a 23-year-old medical student who fled Ukraine six days after the war started.
Here's a rabbit hole of stories to lose yourself in:
Oya, before you carry last, subscribe to our Zikoko Daily newsletter, enter your email address, and click “Subscribe”.
Subscribe to newsletters from any of our popular flagships.
Are you curious to know who your future partner is? Plan the first date and we’ll reveal their initials.
Whether you’re the one that blocks your landlord when rent is due or the ghost tenant, this quiz will reveal the truth.
Maybe your faves keep getting evicted because you don’t spell their names right. Don’t believe us? Take this quiz to find out
Let’s see how much attention you have been paying to this year’s #BBNaija by matching the quotes to the housemate who said them.
Get to know more about the clique behind your favourite 🤩 content.