INTERPOL Steps Into NLNG, Macobard Contract Feud

Based on the directive of Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, the INTERPOL has stepped into the complaint of contract scam filed by a Nigerian company, Macobarb International, against the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited and two of its principal staff.

Macobarb International and its Chief Executive Officer, Shedrack Ogboru, had through their lawyers, filed a petition to IGP Baba, seeking the intervention of the INTERPOL over alleged total neglect by the Nigerian Police in Rivers State to complete an investigation they had started as ordered by a Court of law.

The IGP had in letter dated March 16, 2022, and addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in-charge of INTERPOL, directed that Macobarb and Ogboru’s petition be looked into.

The letter, which was signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, Idowu Owohunwa, a Commissioner of Police (CP), was captioned: ‘Re: Disobedience To And Deliberate Non-Enforcement Of Order Of Court In Summons/Complaint No. PMC/1015/CS/2021 Between Macobarb Int’l Ltd And Anor Vs NLNG And 2 Ors’.

It reads in part: “The Inspector-General of Police directs that you deal. Accept my the assurances of my warmest regards, please.”

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The complainants had claimed that the failure of the police to submit a report on the matter had hampered further action by the court on a criminal charge brought against the NLNG, Tony Attah, its former Managing Director and Akachukwu Nwokedi, its current Head of Legal.

Recall that a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt, had on March 15, 2022, ruled that the Rivers State Police Command, which had begun investigation on the court order in a private prosecution ground and had asked the court then for many extensions of time should have submitted its report to enable trial to begin.

The presiding Chief Magistrate, Blessing Vic-Jumbo, thus struck out the case with a proviso that when the police submits their report, trial would begin, adding that the condition for private prosecution was that the police must enter an indictment after an investigation.

Vic-Jumbo, however, recalled how her court did the right thing by issuing an order to the police to investigate the case but that despite several excuses on their part and court adjournments on their instance, the police still failed to submit report of their investigation.

The Chief Magistrate, who expressed dismay over the situation where every other party had done its part but the police still failed to do its part, advised the complainants/respondents to go by way of Order of Mandamus to compel the police to do their job and submit a report of their investigation, else, there was no case to continue in the criminal charge.