Neptune Prime Network Limited, publishers of Neptune Prime online newspaper, has written to the management of First City Monument Bank Plc seeking clarification on whether the bank procured a kangaroo and illegal legal order to freeze salaried accounts of about 500 staff of Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory.
It would be recalled that Neptune Prime had exclusively reported how about 500 workers of the Abuja Shariah Court of Appeal had their salaried account frozen and their salaries of April and May 2020 not paid.
The bank also embarked on illegal deductions of monies from the workers’ accounts including personal savings.
Following our story which exposed the monumental salary fraud in the organization, Chairman of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Shariah Court of Appeal Chapter, Barrister Mustapha Laminu had told Neptune Prime that it was FCMB which went as far as Minna in Niger state to procure an order from a Magistrate Court which it used to freeze the workers’ accounts.
Barrister Mustapha who spoke in our office last month had accused FCMB of embarking on illegality which resulted in procuring the said order from a court that does not have jurisdiction over such issues, not even a state Magistrate Court.
The letter which was submitted at the Garki Branch of the Bank where Barrister Mustapha said he obtained a copy of the said order, was also copied to the Regional Director, Abuja and North of the FCMB, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Grand Khadi of the Shariah Court of Appeal of the FCT and the Chairman of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Sharia Court of Appeal Chapter Abuja.
Already, Neptune Prime Limited has notified the two anti-graft agencies over allegations of salary fraud in the Abuja Shariah Court of Appeal.
See details of the letter below :
July 13, 2020
The Branch Manager,
First City Monument Bank Plc,
Port Harcourt Crescent,
Garki,
Abuja.
Request for Information/Clarification on Allegations of Procuring Illegal Court Order
We are investigating allegations of salary fraud in Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory which resulted in non-payments of salaries and deductions of monies from salaried account of about 500 members of Staff of the Court.
We understand that the Sharia Court of Appeal maintained an account in your bank before and during the saga.
In the course of our interactions with the Chairman of the Judiciary Staff Union, Sharia Court of Appeal Chapter, Barrister Mustapha Laminu on June 23, 2020, accused your bank of procuring an illegal order from a Magistrate Court sitting in Minna, Niger State (which does not have jurisdiction) which your bank used to freeze the salaried accounts of members of Staff of the Court.
Our interactions with Barrister Mustapha Laminu is recorded on tape and he was very emphatic and categorical in his allegations against your bank.
Consequently, we will like to know whether indeed your bank did procure the said illegal order as alleged by Barrister Mustapha Laminu and if so why?
For your information, our petition has been forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, we will therefore appreciate your quickest response as we will forward same to the two anti-graft agencies to aide their investigation.
Copied:
The Chairman
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
The Chairman
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
The Grand Khadi
Sharia Court of Appeal
Abuja
The Regional Director
Abuja and North
FCMB No. 5 Gwani Street,
Wuse Zone 4
Abuja.
The Chairman
Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria
Sharia Court of Appeal Chapter
Abuja.
