A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to “account for the spending of $460 million Chinese loan to fund the failed Abuja Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) project.”

The court also ordered the government to “publish the total amount of money paid to Chinese and local companies and contractors, specific details and the implementation of the project.”

Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite made the orders while delivering judgment in a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1447/2019 brought by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

According to the statement, the suit followed the disclosure in 2019 by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed that “Nigeria was servicing the loan,” adding that she had ‘no explanations on the status of the project.’ She reportedly said, “We are servicing the loan. I have no information on the status of the CCTV project.”

In his judgment, Justice Nwite agreed with SERAP that “there is a reasonable cause of action against the government. Accounting for the spending of the $460 million Chinese loan is in the interest of the public. It will be inimical for the court to refuse SERAP’s application for judicial review of the government’s action.

Justice Nwite also said that, “The Minister of Finance is in charge of the finance of the country and cannot by any stretch of imagination be oblivious of the amount of money paid to the contractors for the Abuja CCTV contract and the money meant for the construction of the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

Justice Nwite also ordered the government “to provide the details clarifying whether the sum of N1.5 billion Naira paid for the failed contract meant to construct the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) was part of another loan obtained from China.”

Justice Nwite’s judgment, read in part: “SERAP’s core objectives are to promote human rights, transparency and accountability and anti-corruption in Nigeria.”

“I am of the humble view that there is a reasonable cause of action against the government [through the Minister of Finance] and I so hold that SERAP has made out a case to be entitled to the reliefs sought.

“The law is well settled that where a document or letter is sent by post, it is the law that same is taken or presumed to have been delivered.

“Following this principle of law and relying on exhibit OS2, SERAP’s Freedom of Information request sent to Ms Ahmed is deemed to have been delivered. Therefore, the averment by the government [through her] that they were not served with the letter is hereby discountenanced. I so hold.”

Joined as defendants in the suit are Ms Ahmed and the Minister of Police Affairs.

Justice Nwite granted the following orders of mandamus against the Nigerian government:

n order of mandamus is hereby made directing and compelling the government [through the Minister of Finance] to provide and make available to SERAP information on the total amount of money paid to contractors, with specific details of names of companies local contractors involved, from the $460 million loan obtained in 2010 from China by the Federal Government of Nigeria to fund the failed Abuja CCTV contract.

An order of mandamus is hereby made directing and compelling the government [through the Minister of Finance] to provide the details of the local companies and Chinese contractors that have received funds from the $460 million loan for the finance of the Abuja CCTV contract as well as details of the status of implementation of the project.

An order of mandamus is hereby made directing and compelling the government [through the Minister of Finance] to provide the details clarifying whether the sum of N1.5 billion Naira mobilisation fee reportedly paid to the contractors for the construction of the Headquarters of the Code of Conduct Bureau in Abuja was part of another loan from China. This is the judgment of the court.

“The onus is now on President Buhari to immediately comply with the court’s orders. We commend Justice Nwite for his courage and wisdom, and urge President Buhari and Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to immediately obey the court orders,” SERAP deputy director said.

“This is a victory for justice, rule of law, transparency and accountability. The judgment shows the way forward in the fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators. We will do everything within the law to ensure full compliance by President Buhari with this ground-breaking judgment on Chinese loans.

“We call on President Buhari to use the judgment as the basis for publishing details of spending of all Chinese loans and other loans obtained by his government since May 2015.”

Nigeria’s total borrowing from China climbed from $1.39 billion to $4.29 billion between June 2015 and December 2022, according to data from Debt Management Office (DMO).

Nigeria’s 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) revealed earlier in the year that the federal government will spend N6.31 trillion on debt servicing in 2023, which amounts to about 74.6% of the government’s projected revenue of 8.46 trillion for the year.

It would be recalled that SERAP had in December 2019 filed a lawsuit against Ms Ahmed over failure to “disclose information and specific documents on the total amount of money paid to contractors from the $460 million loan obtained in 2010 from China to fund the apparently failed Abuja CCTV project.

The suit number, read in part: “Servicing Chinese loans for failed projects is double jeopardy for Nigerians—they can neither see nor benefit from the projects; yet, they are made to pay both the loans and the accrued interests.”

“The $460 million loan got for the failed Abuja CCTV project and the N1.5 billion for the construction of CCB headquarters, which may be part of another Chinese loan, may have been mismanaged or stolen, and in any case, remain unaccounted for.

“Transparency in the spending of Chinese loans is good for everyone, as this would help to increase the effectiveness, legitimacy, and contribution of the loans to the development of public goods and services, and the general public interests.

“The information being requested does not come within the purview of the types of information exempted from disclosure under the Act. The Respondent has no legally justifiable reason for refusing to provide SERAP with the information requested.

“Democracy cannot flourish if governments operate in secrecy. The citizens are entitled to know how the commonwealth is being utilized, managed and administered in a democratic setting.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has tackled the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle for alleging that the chairman of the commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa demanded a two million dollars bribe from him.

The governor who is under investigation over alleged corruption, had during an interview with BBC Hausa, insisted that the chairman of the anti-graft agency could not be trusted.

The governor said he was being investigated because he refused to “offer the EFCC chairperson the money he requested from him.”

READ ALSO: EFCC chairman, Bawa begged me for $2million – Gov Matawalle

However, in a rebuttal of the governor’s allegations, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren in a statement on Friday night, said Matawalle cannot be taken seriously because he has no evidence against Bawa.

The statement reads, “Matawalle’s recourse to mudslinging is symptomatic of a drowning man clutching at straws.

“But despite the irritation of his phantom claims, the Commission will not be drawn into a mud fight with a suspect under its investigation for corruption and unconscionable pillage of the resources of his state.

“If Matawalle will be taken seriously, he should go beyond sabre-rattling by spilling the beans by providing concrete evidence as proof of his allegations”.

Two fleeing inmates of the Kuje Correctional Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, have been arrested in Adamawa State.

The Adamawa State Police Command said on Monday that it arrested the two inmates who were among those who fled the Kuje facility following a jailbreak last year.

The command’s public relations officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, identified the two fugitives as Atiku Ibrahim, 37, and Adamu Ibrahim, 40.

It can be recalls that no less than 879 inmates escaped during the July 5, 2022, jailbreak. Hundreds of the fleeing inmates have either returned on their own or were recaptured over the months since the jailbreak.

The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, claimed responsibility for the attack. It was later said that 64 of those who escaped were high-profile members of the sect held at the facility.

Airstrikes carried out by the Nigerian Air Force, (NAF), fighter jets have reportedly killed an unconfirmed number of ISWAP terrorists in Turo and Ambia villages, Gujba local government area of Yobe State.

The terrorists were said to have been eliminated on Monday afternoon after the fighter jet bombed the ISWAP position in an intelligence-led operation.

READ ALSO: Three people die, 271 households sacks due to flood in Yobe

Impeccable sources from the intelligence community also told Zagazola Makama, Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region that, the airstrikes were carried out, following surveillance missions showing eight gun trucks conveying ISWAP fighters.

The sources said many of them were killed in the process.

The Headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai has not yet released a statement on the operation.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alerted the general public of the alleged move by some governors and other politicians accused of corruption to flee the country ahead of the May 29 handover.

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren raised the alarm in a statement issued on Friday night.

The commission said it is currently collaborating with its international partners to ensure that the plans are frustrated.

The commission vowed that all political actors involved in corruption while in public office must be brought to justice.

The statement reads partly, “Again, the Commission wishes to alert the public about plans by some of the alleged corrupt politically exposed persons to flee the country ahead of May 29.

“The Commission is working in close collaboration with its international partners to frustrate these escape plans and bring those involved to justice.”