Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has approached a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, for an order of interim injunction for the forfeiture of N840 million traced to a retired President of the Benue State Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Margaret Igbeta.
The Commission, in an ex-parte motion filed at the court, said that the order would stop Justice Igbeta from accessing the money alleged to have been obtained through fraudulent activities in the course of her official duties.
ICPC noted that the request for the interim forfeiture was filed pursuant to Section 48 (1), (2) and (3) (a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and Section 6 (6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
Igbeta is being accused by ICPC investigators of opening an account in the name of her housemaid, Theodora Atsu on the 5th of March, 2008, with an initial deposit of N8 million.
Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, spokesman of the commission said: “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has requested a Federal High Court, Abuja, to order the interim forfeiture of N840 million traced to a retired President of the Benue State Customary Court of Appeal, Mrs. Margaret Igbeta.
“The Commission, in an ex-parte motion filed at the court, said that the order would stop Mrs. Igbeta from accessing the money alleged to have been obtained through fraudulent activities in the course of her official duties.
“ICPC noted that the request for the interim forfeiture is pursuant to Section 48 (1), (2) and (3) (a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and Section 6 (6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended. The retired President of the Customary Court of Appeal was accused of operating a proxy fixed deposit account in the name of her maid, one Theodora Atsu, with Ecobank Plc, where she accumulated N870, 321, 492.15 between 2008 and 2019.
“She was said to have opened the account with her passport and the name of Atsu on the 5th of March, 2008, with an initial deposit of N8 million. She subsequently made several other huge deposits including N123, 745, 925.57 and N5 million, in the months of March and May, 2008.
“It was also noted by the Commission that the money was far above her legitimate earnings both as a judge and President of the Customary Court of Appeal within the period that the account was operated and would have used to meet the infrastructural needs of the citizens and development of the nation. ICPC therefore prayed the court to grant the order in the interest of the nation.”
There’s a saying in Igbo land: “Onye si ihea di uto, ya gwam ihe ona atoka ya…!” Loosely interpreted in English as: “If you say something is sweet, you have to tell me what it tastes like…so I may have a reference!” Not that we condone federal employees (or even state and or local employees) having or storing so much money in their bank account(s), way above their pay grade, and without reasonable and legitimate trace of where the money came from, then, the ICPC needs to tell us exactly the connection of where the individual got the money from…otherwise, it would be a witch hunt.
Furthermore, forfeiture of the money found without concomitant trial, conviction, and jail time punishment, is absolutely nonsense. It sends the wrong message to would be and future culprits.
Finally, “do unto “Kwangari” the same way you did unto Igbinehosa!” You have to slap “Adamu” the same way you slapped Okorie or Itsa, otherwise, it would seem sectional and ethnocentric!