Court adjourns EFCC’s case on N19.3bn Kogi bailout fund

A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has adjourned the hearing of the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) challenging the interim injunction order of the court, restraining it from taking any further action over the N19.3 billion Kogi bailout funds allegedly recovered from a hidden account in Sterling Bank, till January 27, 2022.

Ripples Nigeria reported that the EFCC had on November 19, 2021, announced the recovery of the funds and its return to the Central Bank of Nigeria by Sterling Bank.

However, the EFCC was later dragged to court by the Kogi State Government, Accountant General of the State, Momoh Jibrin and the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Makadam Agiri, alleging that the publication of the recovery on the Commission’s Facebook page was defamatory and demanded a retraction and payment of N35billion damages.

Following this, the court presided over by justice J.J Mjebi granted the applicants’ request, including “An interim injunction restraining the 1st Defendant/Respondent, its allies, agents, representatives, associates or whoever is acting for them or through them from doing anything either by inviting officials of the 1st Claimant or requesting for any document concerning the issue involving Account No 0073572696 or any other account purportedly belonging to the 1st Claimant/Applicant domiciled with Sterling Bank Plc or any other bank registered and operating in Nigeria or otherwise relating to or about the affairs of the first claimant whatsoever, or its employees, appointees or associates pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for Interlocutory Injunction.”

Read also: Kogi govt drags EFCC to court over N19.3bn bailout funds, demands N35b damages

The court had fixed December 17, for a hearing of the motion on notice.

However, at the resumed sitting on Friday, the EFCC counsel led by J.S Okutepa, SAN, moved a motion asking the court to set aside its interim injunction restraining the Commission from doing anything in respect of the account number or any account belonging to the 1st applicant.

Justice Mjebi subsequently adjourned the matter until January 27, 2022, for a hearing of the motion.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now