Gloria Ogbu
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in Abuja has sentenced the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa to prison.
Abdulrasheed Bawa was sentenced on Tuesday by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama in Abuja after he was convicted for contempt of court in relation to his agency’s failure to comply with an earlier order of the court.
Giving the order on Tuesday, Justice Chizoba Oji, in a ruling, held that “the Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is in contempt of the orders of this honourable court made on November 21st, 2018 directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abuja to return to the applicant his Range Rover (Super charge) and the sum of N40, 000,000.00 (Forty Million Naira).”
The court further ruled that, “having continued wilfully in disobedience to the order of this court, he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience, and continued disobedience of the said order of court made on November 21st, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt.
“The Inspector General of Police shall ensure that the order of this honourable court is executed forthwith,” the judge declared.
Justice Orji however rejected the arguments put forward by the lawyer to the EFCC, Francis Jirbo, to justify his client’s action.