Court to rule on N27.3m Prisons judgment debt October 12

An FCT High Court in Jabi has fixed ruling on the application for stay of execution on Nigeria Prisons Service’s (NPS) judgment debt of N27.3 million for October 12.

The court had earlier ordered the Prisons Service to pay the sum of N27.3 million to the plaintiff/respondent in the suit; The Rock Consumer Company (TRCC) being the amount owed the company as payment for goods and services rendered to the prisons.

It held that the service should pay the company the sum of N12.6million being payment for the supply of 1,200 bags of rice to Edo Command’s Cooperative branch and N14.7 million being monthly charge of 10% per annum of the amount with effect February 1, 2016.

However, the NPS applied to the court for stay of execution pending the determination of an appeal it already filed against the judgment.

In its response, the company told the court that its money has been tied down for over two years and granting the application for stay of execution of the judgment will expose it to further hardship in its business operation.

In the counter-affidavit filed by the company, it was alleged that the Police after consulting with NPS “Failed, refused and neglected to release its officers to assist the Sheriff of the court in carrying out the execution (of the judgment).”

It further alleged that upon the company’s dissatisfaction with “the posture of the FCT Police in taking side with the applicant (NPS), (the company) wrote to the Inspector General of Police and copied the Chief Judge of this court and the Attorney General of the Federation.”