I did not ask court to stop my trial, says Tarfa

Fresh facts have emerged from the records of the Federal High Court, Lagos where popular lawyer, Rickey Tarfa (SAN) filed a N2.5billion Fundamental Right Enforcement suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), that he did not ask for any order stopping his alleged trial in any court, contrary to reports.

Rather, it was the counsel to the anti-graft agency, one Rotimi Oyedepo, who while objecting to the request of Tarfa to stop his harassment, insinuated that if the request was granted, it would prevent the agency from pressing charges against the applicant.

According to a statement by the Head of Chambers of Rickey Tarfa & Co, Mr. Segun Odubela, Justice Muhammed Idris, in his short ruling, ordered as follows: “No party to this suit shall take any step to foist a fiat accompli on the court, or any act that will have the effect of rendering nugatory any order the court will make at the conclusion of hearing.”

The judge further ordered that “The Respondents shall in the interim preserve the rights of the Applicant as provided for in the Constitution and the African Charter and Peoples Rights, pending further hearing of this application”.

On the request of Oyedepo, Justice Idris categorically ordered that, “the Court has no jurisdiction to give any order that will prevent the free flow of charge No. LD/2417C/16”.

The Federal High Court had barred the EFCC from disturbing the rights and privileges of Tarfa pending the determination of the N2.5billion damage suit he filed against the anti-graft agency.

Justice Idris made the order after the arguments of Tarfa’s lawyer Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) who was supported by six senior advocates of Nigeria .

Tarfa had filed the suit against EFCC and its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, asking for N2.5billion due to his illegal arrest and detention.

Apart from the monetary compensation, Tarfa also asked the court to compel the defendants which included Moses Awolusi, the operatives that illegally arrested him, and the Deputy Director Operations of EFCC, Lagos office, Iliyasu Kwarbai, to release his two mobile handsets collected from him on February, 5 2016 at their Ikoyi office in Lagos to the court for the purpose of destructing all information, data and other retrievable materials stored in the two handsets.

He also sought an order urged the court to direct the defendants to release his Mercedes Benz SUV with registration No. KJA 700CG unlawfully seized from him.