BREAKING: Police confirm unmarried women can serve while pregnant

An Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Aishatu Baju, has announced that the laws mandating the dismissal of unmarried policewomen who become pregnant while in service have been abolished.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Baju, Nigeria’s highest-ranking female police officer, confirmed that discriminatory regulations against women in the Nigeria Police Force had been removed.

Addressing the case of Omolola Olajide, an unmarried police corporal dismissed in 2021 for being pregnant, Baju reassured that such dismissals are no longer permitted.

“That Section 127 and any section of the Police Act and regulations that have gender discrimination have been expunged, looking at the Police Act of 2020 and the ongoing police reform,” she stated.

She further highlighted that the Inspector-General of Police launched the Nigeria Police Gender Policy last year to eliminate all forms of gender discrimination.

“The Nigeria Police has evolved, and the IG is committed to inclusivity, ensuring that the Force operates as an equal-opportunity institution,” she added.

When asked directly whether unmarried female officers could still be dismissed for pregnancy, Baju responded, “No.”

Olajide’s dismissal in 2021 sparked outrage, leading the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to challenge the legality of Section 127 of the police regulations in court. Although a Federal High Court dismissed the suit in February 2022, the NBA pursued an appeal. In May 2024, the Court of Appeal in Lagos ruled in favor of the NBA, nullifying Sections 126 and 127 of the Nigeria Police Act, thereby prohibiting the dismissal of unmarried pregnant policewomen.