Alleged Official Misconduct: British School Petitions AGF, Seeks Probe Of DPP

A British school, Whiteplains School Abuja, has petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), demanding the investigation of the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Babadoko.

Director of Whiteplains British School, Dr Francis Nwufoh, in the petition to the AGF, dated March 4, 2025, alleged that Babadoko unilaterally removed a ‘caveat emptor’ placed on a property of the school in dispute, with the motive of aiding the sale of the property to Maryam Abacha American University of Niger (MAAUN).

Dr Nwufoh informed the AGF that the former DPPF, Mohammed Umar, had upon receiving several investigation reports; “First by IGP IRT on the 1st of April 2019, secondly by FIB CR: 3000/FIB/ABJ/TA/FBN/Vol. 1, thirdly by National Assembly (Report of the Committee on Public Petitions) dated June 17, 2019, and the fourth report, I haven’t had access to till date” issued a “Caveat Emptor” on the property file at the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS).

He said he learned from good authority that some people wanted to sell the property in issue, which led him to write a series of letters to the AGF, the latest being dated 9 August 2024.

Findings by the Director of Whiteplains revealed that Babadoko wrote to the AGIS to lift the caveat emptor placed on the property.

Dr Nwufoh wondered why, upon assuming office as DPPF, Mohammed Babadoko removed the caveat placed on the property without the notice of Whiteplains, the complainant.

Therefore, he requested the swift intervention of the AGF to prevent the DPPF from eroding the positive strides already made in the investigation.

“We plead that the caveat is restored and that the Police properly investigate the matter by interviewing the bank staff named and whose signatures are on the forged, offensive Tripartite Legal Mortgage in issue,” Nwufoh demanded.

In the petition made available to judiciary correspondents on Thursday, Dr Nwufoh narrated how his ordeal in the hands of First Bank started.

“The school secured a facility of N650m loan from First Bank and paid back a total of N300m within a space of two years for a loan with a maturity period of five years.

“The bank thereafter frustrated the continued repayment of the loan and subsequently sought to foreclose and take over the school.

“This led to a series of litigation, which culminated in an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

“When it was discovered that the Tripartite Legal Mortgage Agreement that the bank had predicated its case on was forged, a formal request was made to your esteemed office to intervene in the matter.

“Your office subsequently directed the Nigerian Police Force to investigate the allegation of forgery.

“The report that was sent back to your office by the Police had so much lacunae, whereupon the then Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Umar, asked the Police to reinvestigate the matter along specified lines,” Dr Nwufoh told the AGF.

To date, Nwufoh has not been informed of the outcome of the last investigation or forensic report.

He prayed that the AGF compare all the investigative intelligence officers’ reports to see the facts and trace the discrepancies.

Due to the extenuating circumstances, Nwufoh said he had sent a letter to the DIG of police dated 18th July 2024, titled “Letter of complaint of my dissatisfaction of how my matter is being handled.”