J-CARES Funds: Court Restrains Committee From Investigation

From Mikail Tsoho, Dutse

Federal Higher Court in Kano State issues interim injunction restraining Jigawa state government from proceeding with the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of COVID-19 Economic Recovery and Stimulation Program (J-CARES) Result area II under FADAMA funds.

Former Coordinator of FADAMA III Jigawa state, Alhaji Aminu Isa Ringim, filed the suit, challenging the process followed by the government committee reviewing the J-CARES FADAMA intervention implementation.

Aminu Ringim sought the court’s restraint on the state government from using the reports until he is given a fair hearing.

In the ruling, Justice Isa Liman issued an interim injunction, preventing the government from publishing, gazetting, taking any action, or extracting a “White Paper” from the committee report.

The restrictions will be in place until the court determines the fair hearing and other concerns expressed by the complainant.

Governor Malam Umar Namadi had previously suspended the state Fadama project coordinator and initiated a full investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to the sector.

Jigawa State Attorney General, Barris Bello Abdulkadir Fanini, stated they had not yet received the interim injunction, and upon receipt, they would study and respond to it.