Court refuses to stop EFCC from investigating el-Rufai

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has refused to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai over alleged mis-handling of the N32 billion proceeds from the sale of Federal Government houses in Abuja during the governor’s tenure as FCT minister.

Justice Binta Nyako in her ruling on Friday, insisted that her court could not shield him from the EFCC investigation into his roles as then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Justice Nyako, said this in a judgment on a suit instituted by el-Rufai, where he sought to be cleared of mishandling of N32bn proceeds of sale of Federal Government’s houses in Abuja between May 2005 and 2007.

Though the court ruled that el-Rufai had properly accounted for the money, which was one of his prayers, the court held that no court could stop the anti-graft agency’s investigation into it.

“No court, including this one, will allow itself to be used to shield anybody from being investigated by the 1st respondent (the EFCC),” the judge said.

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El-Rufai had filed the suit FHC/ABJ/CS/60/09 praying the court to hold that he complied with the guidelines approved by the Federal Executive Council for the sale of Federal Government houses between May 2005 and May 2007.

He equally prayed the court to declare that the sum of N32bn (or any sum whatsoever) from the proceeds of the sale of Federal Government of Nigeria Houses in FCT between May 2005 and 2007 was not missing.

He also sought an order directing the 2nd respondent to disclose the exact amount remitted to the 5th respondent as the proceeds of the sale of Federal Government houses in the FCT between May 2005 and May 2007.

The EFCC, in opposing the suit, insisted that the motive of the governor was to stop it from investigating him in order to cover up the alleged fraud perpetrated when he was FCT minister.

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