‘It’s illegal to ask States to fund Police Trust Fund’, Court orders FG to refund Rivers

The Federal High Court in Abuja, in a new ruling, has faulted and tagged as illegal, the prospect of the Federal Government asking States to fund the Police Trust Fund.

This was contained in a ruling pronounced by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court on Wednesday.

After declaring the deductions as unconstitutional, the court went on to order that all money deducted from the Federation Account belonging to Rivers State be refunded to the state.

The judgment comes on the heels of a suit filed by the Rivers State Government against the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice; the Accountant General of the Federation; the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and Federal Ministry of Finance.

READ ALSO: Police Trust Fund directs IGP to present five-year plan to transform police

The Rivers State Government, through its Attorney General, had approached the court seeking to stop the deduction of funds from the Federation Account for the funding of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund scheme.

During the sitting, the court noted that it was unlawful for the Federal Government to deduct funds from the Federation Account to fund the Nigerian Police force and other agencies not listed in the constitution.

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