Court restrains EFCC from arresting MD of Saraki’s firm

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos, has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to maintain status quo and desist from arresting the Managing Director of Carlisle Properties, Mr. Kennedy Izuagbe, an associate of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

The court also put on hold the arrest of shareholders and staff of Carlisle Properties, believed to be owned by Saraki.

Izuagbe, in an ex parte motion, prayed the court to stop the EFCC as well as its Director of Operation, Olaolu Adegbite, from alleged unlawful harassment and intimidation of the applicants through agents of the commission.

‎Counsel to the applicant, Efot Okoi, arguing the motion on behalf of Izuagbe and Carlisle Properties, said the intimidation of Izuagbe as managing director of Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void as well as a gross violation of his fundamental right as provided under sections 34, 35 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution.

Okoi argued further that until the hearing/determination of the motion on notice, the EFCC and its agents should be restrained from intimidating Izuagbe and Carlisle Properties, as well as carrying out any further arrest and detention of the applicants, their agents and associates.

He also prayed for an order setting aside the letter of invitation from EFCC to Izuagbe and Carlisle Properties, pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit before the court, adding that Izuagbe was only head of Internal Control at the SGBN and was never directly involved in loan approval.

Justice Mohammed Yunusa in his ruling ordered that the EFCC to maintain status quo and that the agency should be served with the processes and order of the court.

The judge also ordered the commission to show cause why they should not be restrained from arraigning Izuagbe. The matter was adjourned to October 12.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, had said in a statement recently that Izuagbe was declared wanted because he could not be reached by the anti-graft agency.

He words: “Kennedy Izuagbe, a former director of Societe Generale Bank Nigeria Plc and Managing Director of Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited, has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in a case of conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of over N3.6 billion”.