Mrs Winifred Oyo Ita, Nigeria’s Head of Service, has an ongoing trial in the Federal High Court Abuja, and the EFCC has been blamed for its misbehaviour by a Federal High Court in Abuja. The court accused the anti-graft agency of poor court process in the case involving Oyo-Ita. As a result of this, the judge stopped the case until the EFCC does the needful.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered a stay of proceeding in the ongoing trial of the former Head of Service, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita and others. Meanwhile, Justice Taiwo in his ruling described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s act in obtaining a warrant for an order for the freezing of bank accounts of the 4th, 5th, and 6th defendants in the matter before another court as “an abuse of court process.”
Justice Taiwo, who described the EFCC’s conduct as “judge shopping” aimed at obtaining a favourable court judgment, said the anti-corruption agency’s conduct was reprehensible and condemnable.
Taiwo, who was visibly angry with the anti-graft agency’s action, said it was a contemptuous move. The judge then ordered a stay of proceedings in the trial until the EFCC and its lawyer “do the needful” by withdrawing the application before the other court. The News Agency of Nigeria observes that Justice Taiwo did not fix any date for the court to reconvene sitting on the matter.
The EFCC had filed an exparte motion with suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1202/2020 before Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo for the freezing of the bank accounts of 4th, 5th and 6th defendants in the alleged N570 million money laundering charge preferred against the ex-HoS and others, even when the matter is ongoing before Justice Taiwo. NAN reports that while Oyo-Ita is the 1st defendant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/60/2020 before Taiwo, Garba Umar, and his two companies; Slopes International Ltd and Gooddeal Investment Ltd are 4th, 5th and 6th defendants respectively.
