EFCC appeals court’s ruling committing Bawa to prison

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja, for a stay of execution of a court’s order committing its chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, to prison for contempt.

Justice Rukayat Ayoola of the Kogi State High Court, Lokoja, had on Monday sent the EFCC chairman to two weeks in prison for disobeying an earlier court order made on December 12 last year.

The judge, who gave the order while ruling on an application filed by Ali Bello, the nephew to the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, also directed the Inspector-General of Police to arrest Bawa and remand him in the Kuje correctional centre, Abuja.

Bello in the application filed by his counsel, S. A. Abbas, urged the court to commit the EFCC chief to prison for disobeying an order earlier granted by the judge.

Read also:EFCC arrests convicted Senator Nwaoboshi in Lagos hospital, lawmaker begins jail term

Justice Ayoola had on December 12, 2022, delivered a ruling in favour of the plaintiff who had dragged EFCC to court for alleged illegal arrest and detention.

The commission rearrested the complainant and re-arraigned him for alleged money laundering to the tune of N10 billion three days after he was released on the order of the court.

The EFCC’s Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, who confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday, said the commission was seeking a stay of the execution of the judgment committing Bawa to prison as well as an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the appellants from attempting to enforce the judgment of the court pending the final hearing and determination of the appeal.

The commission argued that the lower court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the matter as the alleged infringement of Bello’s fundamental human rights occurred in Abuja and not Lokoja.

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