The Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has committed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, to prison for disobeying a court order.
Justice Rukayat Ayoola of the Kogi State High Court, in his judgement yesterday, granted the application for committal to prison of the EFCC chairman for disobeying a court ruling delivered on November 30, 2022, wherein the EFCC chairman was directed to produce the applicant in the case, Ali Bello.
The court also directed the Inspector General of Police to effect Bawa’s arrest and remand him in Kuje prison for the next 14 days until he purges himself of the contempt.
Counsel to the applicant, Sumaila Abbas, had dragged Bawa to court for arresting and detaining Bello illegally, with the court ruling in his favour, only for the EFCC to arraign him for alleged money laundering three days after the ruling.
The EFCC’s applications for setting aside the judgment and stay of execution of the ruling were refused for want of merit.
The court ordered that the EFCC and Bawa be served the motion of notice together with Form fourty nine by substituted means.
The court had also ordered the respondents to tender an apology to the applicant in a national newspaper and awarded ten million naira compensation for him.
