EFCC decries rise in suspects obtaining court orders to stop investigations

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyode has said suspects facing criminal investigation rushing to court to obtain orders of injunction stopping the commission from carrying out investigations and interrogation has become rampant.

Olukoyede said this while speaking in Abuja on Monday at the 6th EFCC/National Judicial Institute (NJI) capacity-building workshop for justices and judges.

According to Olukoyede the EFCC could not investigate corruption cases in 10 states due to court orders. He, however, did not list the 10 states.

He said the commission is battling the issues of frequent adjournments of high-profile cases and conflicting court orders in the prosecution of corruption.

“In spite of the energy and commitment of our judges in resolving corruption cases across the country and measures such as practice direction and designation of courts and judges to hear corruption matters, there are still some areas of concern that need to be addressed urgently,” Olukoyede said.

“The spectre of frequent adjournments of high-profile corruption cases arising from frivolous applications, conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction in corruption cases, intemperate contempt orders hauled at the commission’s leadership, and undue reliance on technicality in deciding serious corruption cases, unwarranted orders of injunction restraining the commission from investigating graft cases, are among a plethora of issues that bother the EFCC, which should be on the table for frank conversations over the next two days.

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“The incidence of suspects facing criminal investigation rushing to court to obtain orders of injunction restraining the commission from inviting, investigating, interrogating, and arresting them, including some state governments, has become rampant and worrisome.

“At the last count, the commission is unable to conduct an investigation in at least 10 states of the federation.

“This is in spite of the clear pronouncements by appellate courts that law enforcement agencies cannot be restrained in carrying out their statutory duties.”

He urged the judicial officers to use the platform to engage with the commission and speak frankly on how corruption cases can be speedily determined.

He added that without a committed, patriotic, and courageous judiciary, EFCC and other agencies would not make any headway in the fight against corruption.