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Court sends EFCC chairman to prison for contempt

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Justice Chizoba Oji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Nyanya, has ordered that the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, be sent to prison for contempt.

The judge also directed the Inspector-General of Police to ensure the execution of the order.

Oji gave the order on October 28, a certified true copy of which was made available to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

A Nigerian Air Force officer, AVM Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo, had brought a motion against the Federal Government, in a suit marked FCT/HC/M/52/2021 filed by his counsel, R.N. Ojabo.

Ojuawo had in the suit sought an order committing the chairman or acting chairman of the EFCC to prison for his disobedience and continued disobedience of the court’s order made on November 21, 2018.

The court had directed the commission to return to the plaintiff his Range Rover SUV and the sum of N40 million seized from him.

Ojuawo, a former Chief of Expo with NAF was discharged and acquitted on fraud charges by Justice Muawiyah Baba Idris of the FCT High Court, Nyanya, on November 21, 2018.

He was arraigned by the commission on a two-count charge of gratification.

The EFCC accused the one-time NAF Director of Operations of corruptly receiving gratification to the tune of N40 million and a Range Rover Sport (Supercharged) from one Hima Aboubakar of Societe D’Equipment Internationaux Nigeria Limited.

READ ALSO: EFCC secured 2,210 convictions in 7 months – Bawa

In his ruling, Justice Orji said: “The EFCC chairman is in contempt of the order of the court made on November 21, 2018, directing the release of the applicant’s Range Rover (Super Charge) SUV and the sum of N40 million.

“It is hereby ordered as follows: That the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is in contempt of the orders of this honourable court made on November 21, 2018, directing the EFCC to return to the applicant his Range Rover (Super Charge) SUV and the sum of N40 million.

“That having continued to wilfully in disobedience to the order of this court, that he be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience, and continued disobedience of the said order of court made on November 21, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt.

“That the Inspector-General of Police shall ensure that the order of this honourable court is executed forthwith.”

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