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Secrets Reporters
A troubling case has emerged involving Abdul Lasisi Jimoh, an officer with the Nigeria Police Force, who has been using his private company, Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd, located in his village, to secure contracts from the very institution where he works.
This case highlights possible breaches of public service ethics and Nigeria’s laws, particularly concerning conflict of interest and procurement regulations.
Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd, incorporated in Kogi State in 2013, is owned and directed by Abdul Lasisi Jimoh and other members of his family. Between August 2023 and September 2024, Hamat Caterers was the beneficiary of a series of payments from police formations and commands for catering services, specifically for the feeding of officers and personnel on essential guard duties. Over the course of 13 transactions, the company was paid ₦190,723,768.00, raising serious concerns about ethical violations in the contract-awarding process.
The transactions, which were spread over 13 months, included payments for feeding police personnel at high-security locations such as the Inspector General of Police’s residence, the Federal Headquarters, and various other police quarters in Abuja. For example, on August 10, 2023, the company received ₦13,385,130 for providing food for police officers on essential duties in Maitama. On September 29, 2023, another payment of ₦10,120,322 was made for feeding officers attached to the Inspector General’s escort and other key formations. The amounts continued to rise, with payments reaching as high as ₦18,629,202 on multiple occasions for services rendered in 2024.
On December 26, 2023, Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd received ₦18,629,202 for providing food for 297 police officers on essential duties in Maitama and other locations for the month of December 2023.
On March 13, 2024, Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd received ₦18,629,202 for providing food for 297 police officers on essential duties at the Police House and other locations.
On April 3, 2024, Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd received ₦18,629,202 for providing food for 297 police officers on essential duties in Maitama and other locations for the month of February 2024.
On May 10, 2024, Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd received ₦18,629,202 for providing food for 287 police officers on essential duties at the Police House and other locations.
On May 17, 2024, Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd received ₦18,629,202 for providing food for 297 police officers on essential duties at the Police House and other locations.
On July 17, 2024, Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd received ₦18,629,202 for providing food for 297 police officers on essential duties in Maitama and other locations for the month of May 2024.
On September 13, 2024, Hamat Caterers and Entertainment Services Ltd received ₦18,629,202 for providing food for 297 police officers on essential duties at the Police House and other locations for the month of July 2024.
This steady stream of payments to a company owned by a serving officer of the Nigeria Police Force suggests a possible conflict of interest. Under Nigerian law, public officers are prohibited from engaging in private business, especially when such businesses interact financially with government institutions where the officer is employed. Section 23(c) of the Public Procurement Act, which governs contract awards, requires contractors to demonstrate competence in their field before being awarded contracts. Furthermore, the act mandates fairness, transparency, and impartiality in the bidding process.
The Code of Conduct for Public Officers, as outlined in the Fifth Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution, explicitly prohibits officers from placing themselves in positions where their personal interests conflict with their official duties. It also bars public officers from engaging in private business activities outside of farming. Jimoh’s dual role as both a director of Hamat Caterers and an officer in the police force creates a clear conflict between his public duties and private financial interests, as his company directly benefits from police contracts.
This practice undermines transparency, accountability, and the proper utilization of public resources. It also contravenes several sections of the Nigerian Constitution and public procurement laws designed to ensure fairness and equity in the distribution of government contracts.
It is worthy of note, to state that the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) provides the foundation for how public resources, including government contracts, should be managed. Key sections that can be highlighted include:
Section 15(5) emphasizes the duty of the Nigerian state to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. It establishes the legal responsibility of government agencies to avoid favoritism, nepotism, and corrupt practices in the awarding of contracts.
Section 16(1)(b) stipulates that the state shall direct its policy towards ensuring the control of the national economy in such a way that it is not concentrated in the hands of a few individuals or groups. Awarding contracts to cronies violates this principle as it restricts economic opportunities to a selected few.
Moreso, Section 16(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, mandates that the government shall carry out all public procurement in a transparent, competitive manner and based on value for money. It prohibits the selection of contractors based on personal relationships rather than merit and competence.
Furthermore, Section 9 of the code of conduct for public officers involved with procurement states, a public officer shall decline to serve in a procurement process if any of the bidders or service providers engaged in the procurement proceedings is related to him by blood, marriage, or grant relationship, or where the success of a particular Bidder or service provider in the proceedings will confer a pecuniary or other advantage on him.
Despite the constitutional provisions and legal framework aimed at promoting fairness and transparency, the award of contracts to cronies remains a pervasive issue in Nigeria, as the Bauchi state government has been found to violate this act.
Given the pattern of contract awards and the significant amounts involved, it raises questions about whether these contracts were awarded based on merit or if Hamat Caterers was favored due to Jimoh’s position within the police force. While Hamat Caterers is listed as operating in the hospitality industry, the nature of these contracts—feeding police personnel—suggests a direct intersection between the company’s operations and Jimoh’s professional duties.
The total amount paid to Hamat Caterers over the 13 transactions is a staggering ₦190,723,768.00. This large sum highlights the scale of potential misconduct and fraud in the Nigerian police.
Efforts to reach the Police Force PRO at the time of filing this report were unsuccessful.
