Court Restrains EFCC From Arresting Ibori

Chief James Ibori thinking of how to escape from the Metropolitan Police and the EFCC.

Court Restrains EFCC From Arresting Ibori


Vanguard (Lagos)


NEWS
11 October 2007
Posted to the web 11 October 2007

By Emma Amaize
Warri

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Benin has granted an injunction, restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Executive Chairman of the Commission, Attorney-General of the Federation and their agents from arresting or detaining the immediate past governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori; his deputy, Chief Benjamin Elue; and other former and current political office holders in the state in respect of the EFFC's current investigations into the financial transactions and contracts in the state between 1999 and May 2007. The order is to subsist until the determination of the motion on notice brought against them before the court.

The Delta State Government had approached the court following receipt of a letter from the EFCC requesting it to turn in all documents on its (Delta government) financial transactions from 1999 to date.


A Government House, Asaba source said it (government) was alarmed by the letter since the commission lacks any such power.

Justice C.C. Okeke who gave the order, Tuesday, also restrained the EFCC and others from freezing the accounts of the Delta State Government consequent upon the said investigations until the motion on notice, adjourned to October 30 for hearing, is determined. Similarly, it ordered the defendants not to compel the plaintiffs to release documents/information to it in respect of its investigations into the accounts of the state.

Plaintiffs in the case are the Attorney-General of Delta State; the state Government; the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; Auditor-General of the state while the defendants are the EFCC, its chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Specifically, the plaintiffs sought an interim injunction to restrain the defendants, their agents, privies, servants or any person(s) acting for or through them from taking any step whatsoever to compel the plaintiffs/applicants, including current or erstwhile holders of offices in the Delta State Government to produce or submit the documents or information requested by the first defendant from the first plaintiff/applicant through its letter, 6/06/07 with reference number, CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/ASO/TM.3.VOL2/321, entitled: "Investigation Activities: Request for Information," pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

Plaintiffs also urged the court to restrain the defendants, their servants, agents or privies from arresting and detaining any current or erstwhile public or political office holder in the Delta State Government from May 1999 to June 2007, including but not limited to the following: Chief James Ibori, Chief Benjamin Elue, Mr. Ede Oghoro and Mr. Charles Israye in consequence of the alleged investigations touching on the accounts, contracts, etc of the second plaintiff following the issuance of the first defendant's letter referred to in paragraph one above, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

The third relief sought by the plaintiffs was for an order of interim injunction restraining the EFCC from taking any step to freeze any of the accounts of the state government or any of its offices, ministries or agencies maintained in any bank in Nigeria in consequence of the letter referred to in paragraph (a) above pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

After reading the affidavit in support of the affidavit of urgency sworn to by Emmanuel Okirhienyefa, Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Asaba and after hearing Dafe Akpedeye (SAN), Attorney-General of Delta State with Ken Mozia for the plaintiffs/applicants, the court granted the prayers but added that the plaintiffs should undertake to pay damages in case the order ought not to have been made at all.

Allafrica.com

Chief James "the thief" Ibori can run and hide, but he cannot escape from the long arms of the law and he cannot escape from the long claws of nemesis. Justice shall prevail in the end.



Chief James Ibori and His Gang.

As long as wanted criminals like Chief James "the thief" Ibori and Dr. Peter Odili are still bona fide members of the notorious ruling People's Democractic Party (PDP) of Nigeria, the PDP remains a notorious political party of gangsters. We are going to nail everyone of them, from the least to the greatest, from Chief James "the thief" Ibori to their Chieftain, ex-President Olusegun Obasanajo. The Jerry Rawlings of Nigeria is coming soon.

These unrepentant criminals have left the majority of Nigerians in the lurch as they looted the national treasury and misappropriated our oil revenues in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.