The Federal High Court has Okayed two separate suits seeking to sack the newly appointed chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede.
Both suits were brought before the court by legal practitioners, Stanley Okawara and Maxwell Opara.
Whereas the first suit, marked: FHC/KN/CS/280/202, was lodged before the Division of the court in Kano State, the second suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1410/2023, is pending before the Abuja Division.
Already, Justice Abdullahi Liman, of the Kano court, has fixed October 30 to hear a Motion on Notice seeking to restrain the EFCC chairman, whose appointment was confirmed by the Senate on October 12, from exercising the powers and functions of the office or drawing salaries and emoluments as an occupant of the office, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
Though the plaintiff had, through his lawyer, Jideobi Johnmary, filed an ex-parte application for the court to issue an order of interim injunction against Olukoyede, Justice Liman, however, ordered him to go and put all the defendants on notice. Cited as defendants in the matter are President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the EFCC.
The court directed the plaintiff to join both the EFCC chairman, Olukoyede and Secretary of the Commission, Muhammad Hammajoda, as 4th and 5th defendants in the matter, respectively. Justice Liman further granted permission to the plaintiff to serve a copy of the court process on President Tinubu, by serving same on the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN).
Besides, the court Okayed substituted service of the suit on the Senate President, through the clerk of the Senate. It equally extended the time within which all the defendants should enter appearance and file their respective processes to 15 days.
Listed as 1st to 4th defendants in the matter that is yet to be assigned to a judge for hearing, are President Tinubu, the AGF, EFCC and its embattled chairman, Olukoyede. His comment came months after Tinubu was sworn-in and constituted his cabinet.
The activist has also faulted the appointments made so far by the Nigerian leader. “I would say it is shared incompetence. They’ve got people who have no idea of the job they are supposed to be doing. I think the appointment system seems to be in crisis”, he stated.
