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JUDGES TRAINING: AMCON, NFIU INVOLVEMENT PURELY PARTICIPATORY, FEDERAL HIGH COURT REPLIES SAHARA REPORTERS

Posted by: Quickresponse | August 6, 2023

Federal High Court has reacted the online report by Sahara Reporters, dated 4th August 2023 with the title
â€œControversy Surrounds Flying of Judges to London for training by Nigeriaâ€™s Asset Recovery Agency, AMCON.â€Â

According to a press release signed by the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Sulaiman Amida Hassan, Esq, said that the report is entirely false, and a figment of the imagination of the reporter, designed to malign the image of the Federal High Court.

The statement read, â€œAn online report by Sahara Reporters, dated 4th August 2023 concerning the Federal High Court has caught the attention of the Chief Registrar and by extension, the Honourable Chief Judge and Judges of the court.

â€œThe report is titled â€œControversy Surrounds Flying of Judges to London for Training by Nigeriaâ€™s Asset Recovery Agency, AMCON.â€

â€œIt desperately sought to misinform undiscerning members of the public that the London trip is a calculated effort by AMCON and NFIU to financially induce the Judges in the discharge of their duties.

â€œThe malicious portrayal of AMCON as funding the Judgesâ€™ trip to London for training at a huge expense was nothing short of CRASS MISINFORMATION. The report is entirely FALSE, and a figment of the imagination of the reporter. It is designed to malign the image of the Federal High Court.

â€œIt should be noted that the said training was solely organized and paid for by the Federal High Court of Nigeria, funded by the Federal Government through the National Judicial Council. The relevant Budgetary Sub-Heads utilized are as follows:

*0103 International Travels and Training

*0104 International Travels: Others (Medical)

*0502 International Training (Course Fee).

â€œWhile acknowledging the presence of the Federal High Court Judges for training in London, it is pertinent to state that both the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, (AMCON) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, (NFIU) are vital statutory stakeholders with regard to the jurisdiction of the Court. Their involvement in the training is purely participatory, as experts in their specialised fields.

â€œHaving regard to the global feature in the Courtâ€™s jurisdiction, It has been the tradition to organize foreign training for its Judges on a yearly basis. This is one of such training which is deliberately scheduled during the period of the long vacation in order to minimize disruption of Court sittings.

â€œThese workshops are considered integral components of judicial duties. The Court is committed to empowering its Judges with the relevant tools to develop their judicial competence. The objective is to keep them abreast of international best practices obtainable, hence the need to hold the training outside the shores of Nigeria.

â€œHad Sahara Reporters made the slightest effort to verify such information, they would have known better than to go public with such misdirection. The Court operates an open-door policy and information can easily be verified through the appropriate channels.

â€œThe Federal High Court considers the reportage as misguided and mischievous. It is apparent from the tone of the publication that Sahara Reporters had a predetermined intention to mislead the public by maligning the Court and inciting disaffection against it. This is highly unacceptable. As such, Sahara Reporters is strongly advised to immediately retract the publication and refrain from further publishing such unprofessional and false reports about the activities of the Court and its Honourable Judges.

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