Witness narrates how Ex-HoS, allies diverted public funds to private companies in court
Court Orders 16 Taraba Vehicles Seized Over Debt
By Joseph Ayinde
The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, has impounded 16 vehicles, including an ambulance van following the failure of the state government to obey its order to pay a company the sum of N550m.
The judgment of the court in suit number FHC/JAL/CS/3/2020 between Motherwell N. A. International Limited for itself and on behalf of Closed Joint Stock Institute of Aerospace Instrumentation of the Russian Federation verses Attorney-General of Taraba State and the Government of Taraba State pasted on the impounded vehicles reads in part, “Upon the judgment of this honourable court delivered on 10th of June, 2020, it is hereby ordered that the plaintiff is entitled to the payment of N550,000,000.00 being the amount due but unpaid to the plaintiff by the defendants.
“The N550m is the amount due to the plaintiff by the defendants from the contract for the Satellite survey and analysis of hydrocarbon feedstock deposit of River Benue Valley territory of Taraba State.”
The court also awarded N200,000 as cost against the defendants in favour of the plaintiff.
But following the failure of the state government to honour the judgment, the company again approached the court, which issued a writ of attachment and sale of goods order against the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the state government.
An employee of the company told our correspondent that in the event of the government defaulting in paying the debt, the court allowed the company “to take control by sale of goods and chattels of the defendants, wheresoever they may be found within the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction.”
In compliance with the judgment some vehicles belonging to the state government were seized and kept in the custody of the court.
When our correspondent visited the court on Friday, 16 utility vehicles, including an ambulance, a Coaster bus, mini buses and Hilux vans belonging to the state government were parked on the premises.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Sam Adda, failed as his phones were switched off as of the time of filing this report.
