The Governor of Ekiti State has won against the EFCC as an Abuja High Court has issued a new order.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, ordered the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to release all property
belonging to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State that were attached
based on the order of the court made on July 20 and August 2, 2016,
Vanguard reports.
The order was given by trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba while
ruling on the application by Governor Fayose through his counsel Chief
Mike Ozekheme, SAN. He brought the application after the EFCC had seized
his property.
Explaining the ruling, Justice Dimgba noted that the interim orders
which were made on July 20, and reaffirmed on August 3, were made to
last for 45 days to enable EFCC carry out its investigations.
Justice Dimgba said the orders ought to elapse on September 3, but from the court record “no application was filed by the EFCC to extend the order.
“I hold that in the absence of an application to renew it, the interim attachment orders had elapsed on September 3.
“Consequently, all the attachments, seizure, forfeitures and occupation of the said property and accounts are nullity,” he ruled.
However, he stated that it would be a different matter if the EFCC
still occupy the property based on the order of court of other
jurisdiction.
Justice Dimgba blamed EFCC which obtained a similar order from Justice
Okon Abang court for not telling the judge they had obtained an
order that elapsed on September 3, when they approached him on November
3.
“I do not agree with EFCC that Fayose motion is an academic exercise,” he further said.
Some days ago, Fayose had won a court order forcing the EFCC to unfreeze his accounts with Zenith bank plc.
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