Court orders CBN to pay N11.2m police judgment debt

AHigh Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo, has issued garnishee order attaching the money belonging to the Nigerian Police in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the purpose of settlement of judgment debt incurred by the Police.

The garnishee order directed the CBN to remove the sum of N11,270,000 from police account number 0020054161043 maintained at the CBN, to pay the Incorporated Trustees of Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), who secured the judgment in 2014 against the Police.

Justice Sylvanus Oriji issued the garnishee order upon an ex-parte motion argued on behalf of the PCN by Barrister Joseph E. Chukwuma.

In an enrolment of court order dated March 17, 2017, and signed by the judge and the court Senior Registrar, Akpabio Brown, the garnishee was issued so as to satisfy the judgment debt awarded against police and in favour of the creditors, comprising Mr Shuaib, Mr Peter Ojoma and Miss Joy Obakachi.

The CBN is expected to appear before the court on May 24 to show cause why the garnishee order shall not be made absolute.

The judgment debtors comprising the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), are also to appear before the court on May 24 for the same purpose, to show cause why the garnishee order nisi shall not be made absolute.

An order nisi is a court order that does not have any force unless a particular condition is met. Once the condition is met, the ruling becomes a decree absolute (rule absolute), and is binding.