BENIN CITY-The panel of inquiry set up to investigate suspected N32million fraud in the Edo State Customary Court of Appeal (CCA) headquarters in Benin City has submitted its report, absolving officials of the directorate of any financial crime.

The President of the court Hon. Justice Peter Isibor disclosed this to The NIGERIAN OBSERVER while giving update on the panel he personally constituted to among others, ascertain whether any fraud was committed in the directorate.

“Since the courts were on strike from January to July how come we now spent all the monies, I did not know that they have to cater for backlog which they have to clear within the period.

“I was thinking that there were few items they most have bought or a few services they most have requested for which were not approved by me, but it turned out that there was nothing like that.

“The big problem is that we have quite a number of courts to contend with”. Hon. Justice Isibor stated.

The President of the state Customary Court of Appeal further explained that the directorate gets its money from the overhead only, as from it they service other courts under CCA purview in Edo State.

“In all the Local Government Area we have what we call Area Customary Courts, therefore in any local government area you must have at least one Area Customary Court.

“The Area Customary Court is manned by the President who is a lawyer and two other members, then, for each local government area again we have two District Court.

“That is to say, minimum we have 38 District Customary Courts, 19 Area Customary Courts and in Oredo the situation is different because of the volume of cases.

“We have to pay electricity bills, we have to maintain vehicles, we have to buy fuel for generators both in the field and outside.

“Sometimes we have to buy pre-paid metres, worst of all, we renovate the courts. So when you look at N32million you think it is a huge sum and that was for four months.

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“What I am saying in essence is that there was no fraud and I am satisfied with the report”. He maintained.

Hon. Justice Peter Isibor however promised to look at the recommendations of the committee with a view to issuing a whitepaper.

It will be recalled that the a four-man committee was set up to investigate suspected N32million fraud at the Customary Court of Appeal, directorate headquarters, Aiguobasinmwin, GRA, Benin City, last August.

President of the court Hon. Justice Isibor had earlier in a chat with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER gave the names of the Committee members as Hon. Justice T.U Obo, Chairman; Hon. Justice P. A Akhihiero, member; Hon. Justice O. Ovbiagele, member, but later withdrawn his membership and, Hon. T. A Momodu, secretary.

“The terms of reference shall be; A: To ascertain and verify all income and expenditure for this directorate for the period stated above.

“B: To ascertain whether there was any fraud committed.

“C: To recommend appropriate measures for the disbursement of all incomes henceforth, and

“D: To recommend measures for shoring up income of this directorate in future”. Hon. Justice Isibor explained.

The Customary Court President further explained that the said N32million was overhead paid to the directorate by Edo State Government for the months of January to April, specifically.

“I have been very circumspect when it comes to the management of funds here, I have been very circumspect indeed, unless I see what they want to use funds for and I find that it is reasonable, I don’t approve.

“But, to the best of my knowledge all my approvals certainly have been predicated on the utility and usefulness of any request made”. He maintained.