Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has directed the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to comply with a subsisting judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) ordering the reinstatement of a former NIS officer, Daniel Dauda Makolo. This development was confirmed in a legal directive issued by the AGF following a formal request for legal guidance from the NIS leadership.
The directive, communicated in a letter dated September 18, 2025, advised the NIS to take steps to observe and implement the NICN judgment, which had declared Makolo’s dismissal unlawful and ordered that he be reinstated “without loss of rank.” The AGF’s office emphasised that the court’s order remains valid and enforceable because it was neither stayed nor appealed against, warning that failure to comply could expose the service to contempt proceedings and other legal consequences.
Makolo originally secured the favourable judgment from the National Industrial Court in Abuja on January 24, 2023, in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/337/2020, which he instituted against the Minister of Interior, the NIS, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, the Head of Service of the Federation and the Attorney-General of the Federation. The court ruled that his dismissal was unlawful and void, ordering his reinstatement to the service.
Despite the industrial court’s decision years ago, Makolo alleged in a subsequent motion filed on January 14, 2026, that the judgment has not been complied with, asserting that NIS authorities had failed to effect his reinstatement, restore his rank or reinstate entitlements due to him. He described the refusal to comply as deliberate and contemptuous of the court’s order.
In response to the request for guidance, the AGF’s letter to the Comptroller-General advised that obedience to the court’s ruling was necessary to forestall legal consequences, including enforcement actions from the court. The AGF’s position underscores the binding nature of National Industrial Court judgments and the obligation of federal agencies to adhere to judicial orders.
Makolo is also seeking relief from the court in his fresh application, including an order compelling compliance with the judgment and enforcement measures against respondents, which include the Interior Minister, the NIS Comptroller-General, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, the Head of Service and the AGF if necessary.
The reinstatement directive reflects ongoing legal oversight and judicial enforcement mechanisms designed to ensure accountability and procedural compliance when public service dismissals are successfully challenged in court. Both judicial and executive actions remain in play as the matter continues before the National Industrial Court.
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