NECO Sacks Whistleblower, Initiates His Detention In Abuja | READ WHY

Ibrahim Ali, a senior staff member with the National Examinations Council, NECO, has been sacked for reporting a series of corrupt practices going on within the body, SaharaReporters has learnt.

It was gathered that Ali, an Assistant Director, along with three other people, was initially transferred by the Chairman of the Governing Board of NECO from its Minna office in Niger State without following the due process of the law.

“They challenged this malicious decision of the Governing Board of the council by way of a petition to the Prof. Is-haq Oloyede Committee investigating issues relating to the NECO. Despite this, their salaries were withheld, and subsequently, their appointments were wrongfully terminated by the council,” a source privy to the matter told SaharaReporters on Monday.

He continued: “When they sought to challenge this gross abuse of public service rules by approaching the National Industrial Court and petitioning the ministerial committee set up to look into the affairs of the organisation, the corrupt people profiting from milking the agency decided to threaten the life of Alhaji Ibrahim Ali, who quickly reported the matter to the law enforcement authorities and approached the courts for justice.”

In an unexpected turn of events, the complainant, Ali was arrested and detained as a suspect by the AIG (Assistant Inspector General) of Zone 7, Area 3, AIG Headquarters, Abuja.

SaharaReporters learnt that Ali was later charged to court while the main suspect has been walking freely.

His case comes up again tomorrow, Tuesday before Justice Suleiman Ola of Deidei Grade I Area Court, Abuja.

SaharaReporters also learnt from sources that Ali has been ill for some time. Meanwhile, the whistleblower has been wallowing in his sickness, putting his life at risk as no proper medical attention has been approved for him.

“We have reliable information that Alhaji Ibrahim Ali, who has been a long-standing Comrade, is sick. His life may be in danger. The corrupt people are ruthless and deadly if unchallenged. We must not allow them to claim another innocent soul,” another source said.

One of the sources further disclosed to SaharaReporters that “someone close to the AIG who is a point man for the highly corrupt person in the agency, who is reported to have issued the threat to eliminate Alhaji Ibrahim Ali, and dodging a Minna court warrant for his arrest, is now roaming freely with impunity, while Alhaji Ibrahim Ali and one of his colleagues are in jail.

“Presently, Alhaji Ibrahim Ali is detained and awaiting trial at Suleja Prison Yard (close to the Emir’s Place). His lawyers will present their plea for his bail before the judge again tomorrow, Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

“The judge lives close to the prison where the victim is locked up and is believed to be part of a network that clamps down on those whom powerful people want to put in jail unjustly.”

Ironically, Nigeria has a Whistle-blowing Policy, which is an anti-corruption programme that encourages members of the public to voluntarily disclose information about fraud, bribery, looted government funds, financial misconduct, government assets and any other form of corruption or theft to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Finance.

According to the policy, a whistle-blower who provides information about any financial mismanagement or tip about any stolen funds to the ministry’s portal is rewarded or entitled to 2.5 percent – 5 percent of the funds recovered by the Nigerian government.

The policy was launched on December 21, 2016, by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and facilitated through the Federal Ministry of Finance. However, many civil society organisations and activists have criticised the government’s anti-corruption war, saying its body language regarding corruption has been that of ‘business as usual’.