Court Staff at FCT High Court Caught Charging Extra Fees for Affidavit Services
An investigation by THE WHISTLER has uncovered that court staff at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court locations in Kubwa and Bwari have been demanding additional fees from affidavit applicants, defying the court’s efforts to digitize processes and increase transparency.
In 2023, the FCT High Court launched an electronic Express-Affidavit System designed to streamline the affidavit application process, cut down on delays and costs, and protect users from exploitation. The official fee for obtaining an affidavit through the system is N2,000.
However, THE WHISTLER found that at the Kubwa and Bwari locations, court staff have been demanding an extra N1,000 from applicants, on top of the official fee. The staff justify these additional charges by claiming they are needed to rent printers and buy diesel to power generators during electricity outages.
Deponents were given the choice of paying either N3,180 via ATM card or N3,000 in cash, a marked difference from the official N2,000 charge. Court staff defended these extra costs, stating that without the additional funds for diesel, they would be unable to process affidavits and applicants would have to return on another day.
Undercover visits to the Maitama, Kubwa, and Bwari locations of the FCT High Court revealed discrepancies in the affidavit application process. While the Maitama court adhered to the official N2,000 fee and processed applications smoothly, the Kubwa and Bwari locations continued to demand unauthorized extra payments.
Despite the FCT High Court displaying banners at its locations warning applicants against paying anything beyond the official N2,000 and encouraging reports of such extortion attempts, these messages have largely been ignored by the corrupt staff.
When confronted about the situation, Mrs. Lawal Funmilola Bosede, the Director and Head of Commissioners for Oath Department at the FCT High Court, expressed surprise at the claims of needing to hire printers and the extra charges being demanded. She pointed out that the court provides essential resources like printer toners and warned that staff caught engaging in such practices would face disciplinary actions.
Legal practitioners have called for further digitization of the court system to minimize the opportunities for extortion. They also urged citizens to educate themselves on their rights within the judicial system to ensure greater transparency and accountability.
As more Nigerians rely on affidavit services to validate their identification documents, the FCT High Court must implement stricter measures to root out corruption and ensure that the public can access efficient and fair services. With attention now focused on these corrupt practices, there is hope that much-needed reforms will be enacted.
