A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday rejected an application by the Rivers State Government seeking to temporarily stop the deduction of funds from the Federation Account for the funding of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed ruled that deductions could not be halted as parties in the matter failed to reach an agreement over the issue.
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Counsel to Rivers, Joseph Daudu had moved for the court to issue the interim order suspending the deduction on the grounds that federal government’s agents have pleaded for more time to resolve some dispute over the deductions.
Daudu had asked the court to make an interim order or direct the government’s lawyers to give an undertaking to stop the deduction pending the conclusion of the settlement talks.
But the defendants’ lawyers opposed the request for the issuance of an interim order and declined to give an undertaking for the suspension of the funds’ deductions.
Counsel representing the Attorney-General of the Federation, Tijani Gazali, argued that the deductions were based on law which could not be stopped by mere consent of parties.
The Rivers State Government contended that it was not the responsibility of the state governments but that of the federal government to fund the police.
