Court Orders Temporary Forfeiture Of $378,000, Maybach Linked To Fides Et Ratio Academy CEO

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, made the order after Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, moved a motion ex-parte to the effect.

Justice Nwite, who granted the motion, also directed the commission to publish the notice in a national daily for interested person(s) to show cause why the cash and the vehicle should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The judge adjourned the matter until Feb. 20 for report of compliance.

The money and the vehicle, allegedly said to be proceeds of unlawful activities, were linked to Paul Chukwuma, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fides Et Ratio Academy Limited.

In the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1982/V/2024 and filed by the ICPC Chairman himself, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN; Chukwuma, Prof Dr Klaus Stierstorfer, and Fides Et Ratio Academy Limited we sued as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

Mr Aliyu, in the motion, sought an order temporarily forfeiting the sum of 378,000 dollars being funds restricted vide Post No Debit Order placed in the Zenith Bank Account of Fides Et Ratio Academy Limited-5074703084.

He also sought an order “temporarily forfeiting the movable property to wit: MERCEDES BENZ GLS 600 MAYBACH” to Federal Government.

Besides, he prayed the court for an order directing the commission to publish a notice in any national newspaper for interested person(s) to show cause why the said property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Mr Aliyu further sought an order directing the anti-corruption commission to open an escrow (interest yielding) account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in the name of the ICPC and Fides Et Ratio Academy Limited in respect of the alleged $378,000.00.

Giving 10 grounds why the application should be granted, the ICPC chair said the victims of the alleged crime of the respondents is the Federal Government of Nigeria and its citizens who honestly and diligently pay their taxes as and when due.

He said the alleged unlawful activities of the respondents had continued to cause untold hardship on honest Nigerians, especially, students of tertiary institutions.

According to him, without an order of this honourable court, the applicant cannot legally recover the alleged moveable property already restricted vide Post-No-Debit Order into the commission’s recovery account domiciled with CBN for proper use for the benefit of honest Nigerians.

Idris Abubakar, a litigation officer, Legal Services Department, ICPC, in the affidavit he deposed to, said the commission received a petition alleging that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, allegedly made payment to a contractor for unexecuted project.

He said during the investigation, it was discovered that TETFund entered into a memorandum of understanding with two companies to provide ICT services to tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

He, however, alleged that TETFund jettisoned the conditions given by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and went ahead to engage Fides Et Ratio Academy Limited.

Mr Abubakar averred “that TETFund, through its Executive Secretary and under the hand of the Honourable Minister for Education, secured approval in the sums of N8,600,000,000.00; N3,550,000,000.00 and N3,100,000,000.00, and guidelines for ICT support services for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education from the then president, President Mohammadu i Buhari, GCFR.”

He said following the approval of the sums and guidelines, TETFund under the hand of its ICT Director, Joseph Odo, wrote a letter to all vice chancellors, rectors and provosts of public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education requesting for their readiness to commit 50 per cent of their ICT support intervention funds to the programme.

“TETFund, in fragrant disregard for extant procurement procedures, received proposal from Fides Et Ratio Academy Limited for capacity building ICT related course tor the public universities, polytechnics and colleges: of education,” he said.

The officer said the academy was engaged to provide the services in two phases to the institutions vide a letter dated May 22, 2023.