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Audit report indicts FCT High Court over N1.5 billion spent on vehicles

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A report has exposed how the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, spent almost N1.5 billion in violation of financial regulations between January 2019 and December 2020.

The audit report of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAuGF) released in December 2023, also pointed hands at the Chief Registrar of the court, Hadiza Dodo.

Although the infractions preceded Ms Dodo’s appointment to the office of the Chief Registrar in November 2021, the current occupier of the office was directed in the report to recover and return the funds to the national treasury.

Husseini Baba-Yusuf, the court’s chief judge, appointed Ms Dodo as the accounting officer of the court following the elevation of Muhammed Mustapha Adamu to the FCT High Court bench

Mr Adamu, who was only appointed a judge of the FCT High Court in November 2021, was the chief registrar of the court at the time of the flagged transactions.

Ishaq Bello was the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court at the time. He retired on 5 January 2021.

The issues raised concerning the transactions totaling about N1.479 billion took place during Mr. Adamu’s tenure as Chief Registrar from 2018 to 2021.

The infractions include misapplication, diversion, waste and misappropriation of public funds, non-remittance of taxes, and payment of contractors without supporting documents or for jobs not executed.

In one of the expenditures, the report referenced the payment of N2 billion (N2,088,716,000 in total) to six firms for the supply of 77 vehicles. While 38 vehicles costing N1 billion (N1,034,800,000) were seen by auditors in the course of the auditing exercise for the year under review, “39 vehicles costing N1,053,916,000 were not presented for audit.”

Citing relevant provisions of the Financial Regulations, stipulating that “on no account should payment be made for services not yet performed or goods not yet supplied,” the report revealed that the sum of N322.7 million was paid to two contractors for the supply of diesel and general cleaning services, but “relevant documents such as store receipts vouchers, store issue vouchers, job completion certificates and the schedule of cleaners paid were not presented for audit.”

In another case, the report said, the payment of N42.8 million to a contractor for the supply of diesel in payment vouchers dated 20 and 28 February 2018 respectively, was without “evidence of delivery and issuance of diesel to end users.”

Also, the report faulted what it termed “irregular engagement of insurance broker.” It disclosed that N60.4 million was paid to an insurance broker to provide indemnity for loss or damage to the FCT High Court landed property for the year.

However, relevant documents like “the insurance policy to show the period of the insurance cover, receipt from the insurance company, terms of agreement and certificate of registration with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) were not produced.”

It attributed the “anomalies” to weaknesses in the internal control system at the court, adding that the infractions pose “loss of government assets, funds and payment for non-executed jobs and items not supplied.”

In its response to the infractions, the court admitted that it had no policy documents for the contract it had with the insurance company.

“We have written several letters to the insurance company asking them to bring the policy documents, but have proved abortive,” the court explained.

But responding to issues of payments to contractors without job execution, the court denied the allegations.

“The evidence of utilisation of the diesel is hereby attached via different locations of the court across the FCT and Honourable Judges residences for your onward confirmation.”

On the issue of car purchases, the court said it attached necessary documents of the transactions and presented the vehicles for inspection to audit officers.

Despite the court’s denials, the audit report recommended the recovery of sums of money and justification of other sundry transactions.

It specifically asked the Chief Registrar to “remit to the treasury the sum of N1,053,916,000” and “forward evidence of remittance to the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly.”

It added that sanctions relating to irregular payment and payment for jobs not executed as stipulated in the Financial Regulations should be applied.

Similarly, Ms Dodo was asked to account for the sum of N322.74 million being payments without relevant supporting documents.

“Chief Registrar should be requested to account to the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly, the sum of N60,416,609.49 being payment for irregular engagement of insurance brokers.”

Issues raised in the latest audit report are only snippets of the broader transparency and accountability questions Nigerians have asked the Nigerian judiciary over its handling of its funds over the years.

 

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Crime

UK serial rapist jailed 12 years

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Aiden Phipps, a serial rapist from Sutton, United Kingdom, has been jailed for 12 years and six months for assault and rape of five young girls.

The 18 years old was aged between 15-17 at the time of the attacks on the girls.

Derby Crown Court heard that several of his victims had tried to take their own lives since their ordeals and the youngest victim was aged just 12.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Phipps he knew “very clearly” that the girls were not consenting to his advances “but that didn’t matter” to him and his victims were “just objects.”

The court heard how Phipps, aged 15 at the time, forcefully raped a 12-year-old girl having pursued her on Snapchat and persuaded her to meet him.

On another occasion in 2023, he “dragged” a girl aged 17 into an abandoned area before having forced intercourse with her.

Prosecutor Dawn Pritchard described how every time Phipps’ victim tried to get up, he “pushed her back down.”

In November last year, another girl aged 17 approached Police about Phipps, telling them he had groped her sexually over her clothing.

Phipps, the court heard, committed several of the offences while already on bail, having been arrested and interviewed by Police for previous ones.

In a statement read out to the court, the mother of one of the girls said since the assault, her daughter had “shut down” and no longer left the house, going into “shock” when she saw a male.

The young girl had tried to take her own life in November 2022, the court heard.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Phipps he posed a “significant risk of serious harm,” adding: “You have devastated the lives of these five victims and caused what for some will be irreparable damage.

“To hear the effect your offending has had is distressing to all of us who heard it. It has also had a huge impact upon all the families of the victims.

“Even when on bail you continued to offend. That is a particularly aggravating feature. All of these young girls made it absolutely clear to you they did not consent to what was taking place.

“You knew very clearly these young girls were not consenting but that didn’t matter to you – what was important to you was what you wanted.”

The court was told by Phipps’ defence Barrister that he had suffered a “very difficult” childhood having been fostered from the age of four and having been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.

However Judge Bennett told Phipps after reading a psychologists’ report he concluded the defendant posed “a significant risk” of committing further similar offences against young girls.

 

 

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Crime

Nigerian military kills notorious terrorist Halilu Sububu who trained Bello Turji

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A notorious bandit leader, Halilu Sububu who trained wanted terrorist, Bello Turji has been killed by the Nigerian military.

He was killed in an operation by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF alongside 38 of his foot soldiers.

Sububu and his men were killed in Zamfara state by NAF Special Forces on Thursday, near the Mayanchi area of the state.

The operation, according to a statement by a Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations NAF Headquarters, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, was part of an ongoing effort by NAF and ground forces to “exploit intelligence and secure the area” following contact with the adversaries.

The statement said: “NAF Special Forces of Operation HADARIN DAJI in the company of other ground troops initiated a follow-up exploitation mission after troops encountered terrorists in the vicinity of Mayanchi.

“During the mission, it was confirmed that 38 terrorists had been neutralized, with 4 bodies retrieved for verification.”

Sububu’s death was also confirmed by a lot security analyst and counterterrorism expert, Zagazola Makama.

Posting on X, Zagazola wrote: “Halilu is a notorious bandit kingpin who trained Bello Turji. He commands hundreds of bandits and also engaged in gun running activities. He also engaged in arms trade and owned a House in Niger Republic.

“The killing of Halilu is a biggest blow against the terrorists.”

 

 

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Crime

Three killed in Anambra communities

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Three persons have been killed in Nawfi and Enugwu-Ukwu communities of Anambra State.

Many people also sustained varying degrees of injuries inflicted on them by assailants. The incident happened at Isionye, aboundary between the two communities.

People from the Nawfia and Enugwu-Ukwu rushed to the scene of the crime when news broke out about the killing.

Sources claimed that the killing of the three victims may not be unconnected with tussle over Isionye land.

A source who pleaded for anonymity said that Nawfia and Enugwu-Ukwu communities have been on a dagger drawn over the ownership of the land.

Meanwhile, Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam(CP) has ordered investigation into the murder of three persons.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, Tochukwu Ikenga (SP) said that the incident actually happened at about 2pm on Monday.

He confirmed that three persons were killed and five others seriously injured at Isionye land.

The PPRO said that preliminary information, revealed that the victims were lured by some individuals through a phone call to the land in guise of a land transaction and attacked them with guns and matchet.

“Meanwhile, the CP has sued for calm as police operatives have recovered the abandoned Sennia vehicle used by the murders. Also, the testimonies of the injured victims who are currently receiving treatment in the hospital is aiding the investigation while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited in the morgue,” Ikenga said.

 

 

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