Court Remand EFCC Chairman Over Contempt

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A federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama has ordered the remand of Abdulrasheed Bawa, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for contempt.

Chizoba Oji, the presiding judge, ordered the inspector-general of police (IGP) to ensure the committal order is executed.

The judge gave the order in the motion on notice marked FCT/HC/M/52/2021 filed by Adeniyi Ojuawo, air vice marshal (now retired), against the federal government.

The judge held that “the chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, is in contempt of the orders of this honourable court made on November 21st 2018 directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abuja, to return to the applicant his Range Rover (supercharged) and the sum of N40,000,000.00″.

“Having continued willfully in disobedience to the order of this court, he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience, and continued disobedience of the said order of court made on November 21st, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt,” the judge said.

“The inspector-general of police shall ensure that the order of this honourable court is executed forthwith.”

The EFCC had arraigned Ojuawo on a two-count charge before Muawiyah Baba Idris, judge of the FCT, in Nyanya in 2016.

He was charged with receiving gratification from Hima Aboubakar of Societe D’Equipment Internationalnaux Nigeria Limited totalling N40 million and a Range Rover Sport (supercharged) valued at N29.250 million.

However, the judge discharged and acquitted Ojuawo on November 21, 2018, because the prosecution had not made its case.

The judge then ordered the EFCC to return the money and the car to him.