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Court Orders IGP Egbetokun To Arrest EFCC Chairman, Olukoyede
An FCT High Court presided by Justice Abubakar Musa has ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), to arrest the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, for disobeying court order.
The court also ordered arrest of Aliyu Yusuf, the Head, Proceeds of Crime Unit at the EFCC.
According to a court document exclusively obtained by THE WHISTLER, Chief Ikechi Emenike, a former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, had approached the court over a property which was allegedly forfeited to the Federal Government as proceeds of corruption.
The property, a 5- bedroom duplex with a 2- room boys quarters, is situated at number 6 Aso Drive, Abuja.
THE WHISTLER gathered that the Emenike had offered to buy the property, where he currently lives, which was valued at over N380 million, but the EFCC refused and sent operatives to block all entries to the property.
Chief Emenike then approached the court seeking order for the EFCC to allow him exercise the right of first refusal for the purchase of the house.
He claimed that the EFCC planned to sell the property to a third party without allowing him, “who is a sitting tenant exercise first right of refusal,” describing it as oppressive and unfair,.
However, the court ordered EFCC to leave the property and ordered it not to prevent Chief Emenike and his household from moving in and out of their residence.
But the commission allegedly disobeyed the order and Chief Emenike initiated contempt proceedings against both the chairman of EFCC and the head of the asset recovery team.
According to the court documents obtained, EFCC had disobeyed the first order that was made on the 9th November 2023 which was an interim order. It also disobeyed the interlocutory order made on 6th December 2023, and had proceeded to arrest both Chief Eminike and his wife.
The APC chieftain then approached the court seeking for the conviction of both Olukoyede and Yusuf for failing to comply with the court orders.
However, according to the court ruling on Tuesday (23th January 2024), Justice Musa ordered the arrest of the EFCC Chairman and the head of Proceeds of Crime Unit .
The judge ruled that ” after listening to Adeyemi Pitan esq counsel for the claimant argue in favour of the application, and Hadiza Afegbu esq counsel for the defendant informing the court that she has no response to the application;
“It is hereby ordered as follows: that an order is hereby made directing the Inspector-General of police to arrest Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Aliyu Yusuf, Head, Proceeds of Crime Unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the purpose of committing them to prison for disobeying the orders of this Honourable Court contained in the ruling of the court delivered on the 6th day of December 2023.
“That an order is hereby made directing Ola Olukayode, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Aliyu Yusuf, Head, Proceeds of Crime Unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to appear before this court on the date mentioned in this order to show cause why an order for their committal to prison should not be made.”
After the ruling, the judge adjourned the sitting 25th January 2024 for hearing.
Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesman, promised to get back to our correspondent when he was contacted for a response on Wednesday afternoon but didn’t respond as at the time of filing this report.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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