NIS Recruitment Scandal: Court rules against Abba Moro, others

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday granted four applications by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, regarding properties purchased by Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited with proceeds of the ill-fated recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, which claimed the lives of over 20 applicants in various centres across the country.

Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited was the company to whom the Ministry of Interior awarded the contract for provision of online enlistment service for the NIS recruitment which took place on March 17, 2013 when Abba Moro (the first defendant in the suit) was minister.

The counsel to the EFCC, Aliyu Yusuf, had on January 24, 2018 moved a motion pursuant to Sections 6(d), 7(2), 24, 26(1) & (3), 28 and 34(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act No.1 of 2004; Sections 329, 330 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and Sections 46(2) (k), 251(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, for interim attachment of the assets and properties set out in the schedule attached herein.

“An order stopping the disposal, conveyance, mortgage, lease, sale or alienation or otherwise tampering with the properties/assets’ which are located at No 1, Lahn Crescent, Maitama, Abuja and No. 2, Sigure Close, Off Monrovia Street, Wuse II, Abuja”.

“An order authorising the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to appoint a competent person/firm to manage the properties/assets listed in the schedule herein, temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria pending the conclusion of the criminal Charge No. CR/42/2016 in FRN v. Abba Moro Patrick and 3 others against the Defendant herein;

“And for such further orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case”, he said.

Following the objection by the defence, the court adjourned to today for hearing on the motion.

At the resumed sitting, Justice Dimgba after arguments and counter arguments on the motion, granted all the prayers by the prosecution.

The judge held that, “the court has the power to make preservatory orders which the court can monitor by itself”.

The court also struck out another motion by Nkereuwem Akpan, who sought to be a party in the suit.

Thereafter, the case was adjourned to March 28 and 29 for continuation of trial.