The Nigeria Police Force has officially removed a controversial law that allowed the dismissal of unmarried policewomen who became pregnant while in service.

Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Aishatu Abubakar-Baju, the highest-ranking female officer in the Force, confirmed this change during an interview on Channels TV on March 12. She explained that discriminatory laws against women in the police have now been deleted.

This decision follows a legal battle that started in 2021 when a police corporal, Omolola Olajide, was dismissed in Ekiti State for getting pregnant while unmarried. Her case led to widespread criticism, prompting the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to challenge the legality of the rule in court.

She said;

“That Section 127 and any section of the Police Act and regulation that has gender discrimination have been expunged, looking at the Police Act of 2020 and the police reform that is currently going on. 

The IGP (Inspector General of Police) has just last year launched the Nigeria Police Gender Policy just to make sure that there is complete eradication of any form of gender discrimination.

I can tell you that the Nigeria Police has come of age, and the IG is intentional about inclusivity and making sure that the Nigeria Police is an equal opportunity institution,” she added.

Although the Federal High Court in Abuja initially ruled in favor of the regulation, the NBA took the case to the Court of Appeal in Lagos. In May 2024, the appellate court ruled that Sections 126 and 127 of the Nigeria Police Act— which allowed such dismissals—were unlawful.

With this ruling, the Nigeria Police Force has now aligned its regulations with modern standards, ensuring better treatment for female officers.