BLESSING OMALE, Abuja
The Supreme Court has dismissed two appeals filed by the Rivers State Attorney General and the Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, seeking to overturn a ruling that allowed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to challenge a 2007 order barring it from investigating former Governor Peter Odili.
Odili, who governed Rivers State from 1999 to 2007, had obtained a perpetual injunction from the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, restraining the EFCC from arresting or investigating him, as well as from probing the state’s finances.
Years later, the EFCC sought leave from the Court of Appeal to contest that ruling after the statutory appeal period had expired.
The appellate court granted the request, prompting the Rivers State Government to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
During Monday’s proceedings, a five-member panel led by Justice John Okoro questioned the merit of the Rivers State Attorney General’s appeal, marked SC/CV/318/2018.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) S. A. Somiari, representing the state, argued that the appeal was aimed at challenging the Court of Appeal’s decision to grant EFCC the right to appeal the 2007 ruling.
However, Justice Okoro interrupted, stating, “This is not the type of appeal we hear here.” He advised the parties to resolve the substantive matter at the appellate court before escalating it to the Supreme Court.
Following this, Somiari opted to withdraw the appeal, and the EFCC’s legal team, led by Abubakar Mahmud (SAN), did not object. The court then ruled: “Appeal is dismissed, having been withdrawn without any objection.”
The Supreme Court issued a similar ruling for a second appeal, SC/CV/447/2018, filed by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
With this ruling, the EFCC now retains its legal footing to challenge the 2007 perpetual injunction that has shielded Odili from scrutiny for nearly two decades.
For a better society
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
