The Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned the contempt proceedings initiated by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede.
This decision was delivered on Thursday by a three-judge panel consisting of Justice A.M. Talba, Justice D.Z. Senchi, and Justice Joseph Oyewole.
Justice Oyewole, in delivering the lead judgment, dismissed the respondent’s preliminary objection on technical grounds.
The appellate court noted that the high court judge did not extend the orders from February 9, 2024, in the final judgment on April 17, 2024. Furthermore, it stated that the issue regarding the interim order had become irrelevant. The court also imposed a cost of N1 million on the respondent.
Previously, the Court of Appeal had granted an ex-parte motion to stay the contempt proceedings filed against the EFCC boss by Bello. Justice Oyewole had allowed EFCC’s request, led by lawyer Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), to serve the appeal documents to the former governor through substituted means.
Olukoyede was initially summoned by the Kogi State High Court in May to explain why he should not be imprisoned for disobeying court orders.
These orders followed a siege on Bello’s Abuja home, despite a court ruling in Bello’s favor regarding a fundamental human rights suit. The EFCC chairman appealed this ruling and sought to halt the high court’s proceedings.
The Kogi State High Court had ruled that the EFCC violated its February 9 restraining order by laying siege to the former governor’s residence on April 17, which it deemed an act of contempt. The court’s decision was based on a motion ex-parte filed by Bello’s lawyer, M.S. Yusuf, requesting that the EFCC chairman be ordered to show cause for not adhering to the court’s orders.
Barrister Okutepa and Adanu Emmanuel Ogwiji represented the EFCC, while Victor Oni represented the respondent.