The Nigeria Police Force has abolished a long-standing rule that mandated the dismissal of unmarried female officers who became pregnant while in service, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Aishatu Baju has confirmed.
During an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Baju, the most senior female officer in the force, stated that gender-discriminatory provisions in police regulations had been eliminated to ensure fairness and inclusivity.
She referenced the case of Omolola Olajide, a police corporal dismissed in Ekiti State in 2021 for getting pregnant outside of marriage.
Baju assured that under the current framework, unmarried officers are no longer subject to such penalties.
According to her, the Nigeria Police Act 2020 and recent reforms have removed any legal basis for gender-based discrimination.
She also highlighted the Inspector General of Police’s efforts in launching the Nigeria Police Gender Policy in 2023 to further institutionalize equality within the force.
Asked explicitly whether unmarried female officers can now keep their jobs if they become pregnant, Baju firmly confirmed, “Yes.”
The controversial regulation previously led to a legal dispute. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had challenged it in court, but an initial ruling dismissed their case.
However, in May 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the NBA, invalidating Sections 126 and 127 of the Nigeria Police Act and officially nullifying the discriminatory practice.