OGBUINYA JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This appeal stemmed from the decision of the Federal High Court, florin Division, presided over by A. O. Faji, J. in suit No. FHC/IL/CS/4/08 delivered on 15 December 2011, wherein the respondent’s claims against the appellant were granted.
As garnered from the record and processes filed, the fact of that case, which precipitated this appeal, are not complicated. For ease of reference and appreciation, the respondent and appellant were the claimant and defendant in the lower court respectively. On 25 January 1996, the appellant, an agency of the Federal Government, employed the respondent as its staff and posted him to the local VAT office, Offa in Kwara State. Sometime in January, 2003, the respondent, through his local VAT Officer, was granted a two-day casual leave to enable him attend to his personal problems. When he resumed work on 27 January 2003, he was informed that policemen from the Nigeria Police Force, Criminal Investigation D…