MUHAMMAD, JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): The plaintiff was an employee of the defendant as a Technical Officer (Lines) at Gombe office of the defendant, in the then Bauchi State. He started work in January, 1992. The plaintiff continued to work diligently for the defendant until in December, 1988 when there was allegation of missing drum of aluminium conductor at the NEPA switch yard Gombe. The plaintiff was issued with a query dated 20th December, 1988. Plaintiff answered the query. He was later interdicted on 22nd December, 1988. An Ad-hoc committee was set-up in 1989 by the Management of the defendant. The committee invited the plaintiff to testify.
The plaintiff did not honour the invitation as he was arrested by the police on a report made to them by the defendant. Several attempts were made by the Ad-hoc committee to secure the attendance of the plaintiff before them but to no avail. Plaintiff and some others were on the 16th of February arraigned before a Chief Magistrate…