Timiyandasblog/timbloggits has previously reported that on Wednesday, April 17, a few EFCC agents stormed Yahaya Bello's Abuja home.
The address of the former governor's mansion is 9 Bengazi Street, which is in Zone 4 of the Wuse District in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria.
On Wednesday, April 17, a video was posted on AIT's X handle showing the workers blocking the streets' entrance and exit, which resulted in traffic in the vicinity.
Still, in The EFCC illegally surrounded the residence notwithstanding an Order of Injunction that was granted on Friday, February 9, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, according to a statement released by the former governor's media office.
According to the statement, the EFCC received proper notice of the order on Monday, February 12, and on February 26, 2024, it filed an appeal against it with the Court of Appeal Abuja division (Appeal No.: CA/ABJ/CV/175/2024: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission v. Alhaji Yahaya Bello).
"Persons who described themselves as officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrived at the Wuse Zone 4 Residence of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to effect his arrest," the statement adds. "Today, the 17th day of April, 2024, is about 9:30 am."
"This is in spite of an ongoing injunction order that was granted on February 9, 2024, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division in the case of Alhaji Yahaya Bello v. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, prohibiting the Commission from harassing, detaining, arresting, or filing charges against Alhaji Yahaya Bello until after the hearing and decision regarding the substantive enforcement action concerning fundamental rights.
The order was officially served to the EFCC on February 12, 2024. On February 26, 2024, the EFCC filed an appeal against the aforementioned order with the Court of Appeal Abuja division (Appeal No.: CA/ABJ/CV/175/2024: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission v. Alhaji Yahaya Bello). A Motion for a Stay of Execution of the High Court's Order was filed with the Appeal, and the Court of Appeal postponed considering it until April 22, 2024.
Furthermore, the main matter between Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the EFCC is scheduled for a judgment that would be delivered in Lokoja today at noon.
"It is surprising that a lawyer-led organization could blatantly disregard an active court order by acting in violation of the relief that was given.
"We can state categorically that the leadership of the EFCC may have offered the agency on a platter of gold to desperate politicians to convert to their score-settling tool without minding the effect on its integrity and the image of Nigeria as regards the rule of law. We are aware of the total commitment of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the rule of law."It is surprising that a lawyer-led body could blatantly disregard an active court order by acting against the reliefs awarded.
Anarchy is certain to result when law enforcement ignores the rule of law, and this will negatively impact the country's economy on all fronts.
"Nigerians have seen the anti-graft agency's desperate attempt to discredit and intimidate the former governor by whatever means possible through false accusations, particularly the most recent one which dates back to September 2015—a long time before he took office.
"We are aware that there are covert efforts to rectify the error, but they are accompanied with even more dubious accusations, which would cause greater embarrassment to Nigeria and the Commission than the first one did.\
"Unfortunately, when it comes to disregarding court rulings, the organization that is meant to uphold the law is now the primary offender.
In the battle against corruption, this is a significant setback. A person must approach equity with clean hands.
"In the interest of legal sanity, we call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the EFCC to order."
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