Saraki’s Case Against The EFCC & Others Will Be Heard In Court On July 27 

The petition brought by former Senate President Bukola Saraki against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others was set for further hearing on July 27 by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

News Agency of Nigeria

The case was deferred by Justice Inyang Ekwo so that the parties may submit and exchange their processes in the lawsuit.

The development followed the absence of counsel for the case’s first, second, third, and fourth respondents.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and State Security Service (SSS) are the first, second, and third defendants, according to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN).

The EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) are the other responses, ranking fourth through sixth.

According to NAN, the EFCC said in 2019 that it will investigate Saraki’s profits between 2003 and 2011 while governor of Kwara.

The commission was said to have taken several of his properties in Lagos’ Ikoyi neighbourhood at the time.

Saraki, on the other hand, filed two separate lawsuits against the EFCC on May 10, 2019: FHC/ABJ/CS/507/19 and FHC/ABJ/CS/508/19 before Justice Taiwo Taiwo.

The sitting court, Justice Taiwo, decided on an ex parte application submitted in conjunction with the substantive litigation.

The judge ordered the anti-corruption agency (4th respondent) and the other five respondents to the cases to halt their investigations pending the outcome of the applicant’s motion on notice.

The injunction was granted after Saraki’s counsel, Sunday Onubi, filed the case on May 14, 2019.

By delaying the investigation, the court had ordered the parties to maintain the status quo.

However, the EFCC eventually requested that the judge disqualify himself and the case be moved to a another court.

The case was reallocated to Justice Anwuli Chikere for adjudication after Justice Taiwo returned the case file to the chief judge.

On July 14, 2021, EFCC Counsel Chile Okoronkwo protested before Justice Chikere that Taiwo’s ruling has prevented the agency from “doing its responsibilities for approximately two years already.”

Saraki continues to rely on the court’s injunction whenever he is invited, according to the lawyer, who urged the court to overturn the decision.

Following Chikere’s retirement, the cases were referred to Justice Ekwo.

Saraki’s lawyer, Lukaman Saidu, advised Saraki’s lawyers on Thursday that the subject will be discussed further.

AGF, I-G, SSS, and EFCC, on the other hand, did not have a lawyer present.

Justice Ekwo then inquired if the respondents had received the hearing notifications for the action.

All processes have been served on the respondents, according to Saidu.

O. A. Ikupolati, an attorney for the ICPC, told the court that the commission submitted a notice of preliminary objection with a counter affidavit in 2019.

Ekenma Okafor, CCB’s counsel, commented in the same vein.

Saraki’s petitions were also served with a preliminary notice and a rebuttal affidavit, according to her.

When Ekwo inquired if Saidu had gotten any process from the first, second, third, or fourth respondents, the lawyer stated that only the fourth (EFCC) defendant had responded to their motions.

The judge then continued the case until July 27, ordering that hear I g notifications be issued and served on the first, second, third, and fourth respondents.