NAICOM BOSS case: Court insists on jurisdiction

BY INNOCENT ANABA Lagos—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has held that it has the jurisdiction to entertain the charge against Mr. Fola Daniels, Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of National Insurance Commission, NAICOM. Daniel is charged on a six-count of criminal misrepresentation of facts and deliberate falsehood. He was accused of deliberately making malicious misrepresentations against Alliance and General Insurance Company Ltd, to some agencies, with the intention of damaging the reputation of the company. But before the ruling by the court, the prosecution had informed the court that it intended to withdraw the charge against Daniels. Daniel’s counsel had at the last adjourned date, challenged the service of the charge on his client, arguing that the manner of service of the charge, robbed the court of jurisdiction to entertain same, since the accused was not personally served. Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, who noted that the matter was adjourned for ruling, said he would go ahead to deliver his ruling, despite the prosecution informing him of its plans to withdraw the charge by a letter from the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF. Justice Abang in his ruling, held that a failure to sign the service copy of a charge could not affect the jurisdiction of the court.