Re: Federal High Court Restrains EFCC From Investigating The Finances Of Oyo State – A Deliberate Misrepresentation Of Federal High Court Judgment By The Government Of Oyo State || By Sola Abegunde

I was physically present yesterday, when the Hon. Justice Maha of the Federal High Court 2 sitting in Ibadan delivered judgment in a case instituted by the Governor of Oyo state, Accountant General of Oyo state and the Attorney general of Oyo state against the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The bone of contention between the Oyo state Government and the EFCC is a letter written by the Anti-graft Agency to the Plaintiffs, demanding for financial details of all the contracts awarded by the Oyo state Government from 2021 to date.

After receiving the letter, the Oyo state Government applied to the Federal High Court asking that the said letter be set aside on the grounds that the letter did not disclose specific reasons why the state Government should comply with the request by the EFCC.

The state Government argued that the letter was nebulous, not disclosing that the request was made as a result of specific allegations of offences committed by the state Government.

I have to say that the powers of the EFCC to investigate the Government of Oyo state was never an issue before the Federal High Court and it could never have been because the Court would have declined jurisdiction to entertain such a relief.

It is trite in Law that no Court can stop the performance of a statutory duty by a Government Agency.

In its judgement, the Court found merit in the arguments of the Oyo state Government and set aside the letter by the EFCC but the trial judge was very emphatic about the fact that the judgment of the Court should not be misinterpreted to mean that the Court has interfered with the statutory powers of the EFCC to investigate the Government of Oyo state.

Infact, apart from the order setting aside that letter for failure to comply with certain provisions of the EFCC Act and other extant Laws, the Federal High Court made no further order.

The Attorney general of Oyo state, Barr. Aikomo SAN, was in court when the judgment was read.

After the court session, I told a brother of mine who was with me in court that the Government of Oyo state would deliberately twist that judgement and as a result of that, I did a story immediately, reporting what transpired in court.

Around evening time yesterday, I started seeing stories on Facebook, stating that the Federal High Court restrained the EFCC from investigating the the finances of the Government of Oyo state.

The Attorney general of Oyo state knows the implications of twisting the judgment of Courts. So, they cleverly resorted to spreading the lies through unofficial channels, mostly, Facebook accounts.

I challenge the Attorney general of Oyo state to make public the order of the Federal High Court restraining the EFCC from investigating the Government of Oyo state.

Infact, throughout the whole judgment, the word ” restrain” was never for once mentioned.

I liken the Oyo state Government to the proverbial man who planted a hundred tubers of yam, while lying that he planted two hundred.

The judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on Wednesday provided no reprieve for the Government of Oyo state.

Like I said, I challenge the Attorney general of Oyo state to deny these facts as put forward by me and I am sure he will not dare it. He is well aware of the consequences of misrepresenting the judgment of Courts.

Sola Abegunde.