Nigeria, July 13 -- Nigeria's defence minister, Bashir Magashi, will face a contempt proceeding over the refusal of the army council, which he chairs, to comply with a court judgement to reinstate an illegally dismissed officer, the National Industrial Court has ruled.

Apart from Mr Magashi, the permanent secretary of the defence ministry, Nuratu Batagarawa, will also face a contempt proceeding. Both officials are, respectively, chairman and secretary of the army council.

In the judgement given at the Abuja headquarters of the industrial court on January 14, Rakiya Haastrup had ordered the army council to reinstate Abdulfatai Mohammed, one of the 38 officers compulsorily retired in June 2016.

Most of the officers were illegally dismiss...