Court of Appeal suspends EFCC ruling on Yahaya Bello — Nigeria — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

May 4, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

The Abuja Court of Appeal has stayed the execution of the judgment of the Kogi State High Court against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

The appellate court has stayed the contempt proceedings initiated by the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, against the Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede.

The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Joseph Kayode Oyewole, in an ex parte judgment granted the request of the EFCC to serve the proceedings in the Appeal by alternative means on the former Governor.

Consequently, the Court adjourned the hearing of the notification appeal until May 20, 2024.

The EFCC boss, who was summoned to appear before the Kogi State High Court on May 13, 2024, to justify why he should not be jailed for disobeying court orders, appealed the trial court ruling and requested a stay of the Court’s proceedings.

The EFCC boss faces a charge of contempt for doing “some acts upon which they (the EFCC) have been restrained” by the Court on February 9, 2024, pending determination of the substantive motion it gives rise to.

Justice IA Jamil, while delivering judgment in suit No: HCL/68M/2024 and motion No: HCL/190M/2024, ordered that “the said act was done by the respondent (EFCC) in violation of the order, which was valid and subsist when they carried out the act.

The Judge also said that the very act of the defendant constitutes Contempt.

The EFCC operatives had laid siege to the residence of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, as early as 8am on April 17, 2024, with an attempt to arrest him, despite a court order prevented taking such action, pending the determination of the original movement.

Justice Jamil’s order was based on an ex parte motion filed by Yahaya Bello through his lawyer, MS Yusuf, where he prayed the court to issue and serve upon the respondent (EFCC Chairman) a notice in Form 49 to show the cause of the order No internment should be carried out in Olukoyede.