Mba Nkem, the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court (FHC) in Awka, Anambra State, faces accusations of demanding between 20 to 30 litres of diesel from defendants seeking bail before finalizing their conditions. This controversy arose after numerous defendants and their legal representatives expressed concerns over the practice.
The President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, confronted Nkem about these allegations. In a response reported by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, the Deputy Chief Registrar addressed the bail verification process and denied benefiting personally from the diesel collection.
Nkem explained that the court orders required sureties to submit refundable bank drafts in her name. These drafts were placed in interest-bearing accounts at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and would remain there for the duration of the trial. “The bank drafts and any of the bail bonds are not for my personal gain,” she clarified.
Due to her demanding schedule, she assigned senior bailiffs to handle the verification of bail conditions and report their findings to her. “Included with this letter are affidavits of verification submitted by the sheriffs for your review,” she noted.
Regarding the diesel issue, Nkem explained that the court had been experiencing erratic electricity supply, with cables stolen during a robbery. For nine months, the court operated without power, and the quarterly subvention from court revenue was insufficient to meet their diesel needs.
During court sessions, lawyers had suggested that contributing 20 to 30 litres of diesel per case could expedite the bail verification process. “However, those unable to provide diesel due to pro bono work or other circumstances are still accommodated if leftover diesel is available,” she stated.
Nkem emphasized that the diesel was never monetized and was directly delivered to the generator. “I maintain an open-door policy and always include my secretary in meetings with lawyers or litigants to promote trust and transparency,” she added.
In her conclusion, Nkem expressed her willingness to accept any corrections if her actions were found lacking. She attached copies of bank drafts and court orders for further investigation.
The statement elaborated, “With all due respect, I wish to clarify the procedures we follow in executing court orders, specifically regarding bail condition verification. The court mandates the Deputy Chief Registrar to verify bail conditions and report compliance to the judge accordingly.”
She attached ten processed court orders for bail for review, detailing that the sureties were instructed to deposit refundable bank drafts in her name. “These drafts comply with the court’s directive and are held in an interest-yielding fixed deposit account at UBA throughout the trial,” she concluded.
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