The Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, challenging the decision of the Kogi State High Court that it has jurisdiction to try the defamation suit instituted against the Commission by the State Government over the purported twenty Billion naira bailout fund.
The appeal is about the defamation suit instituted by the Kogi State Government against the EFCC, Sterling Bank Plc and Central Bank of Nigeria over claims by the EFCC that the Kogi State Government kept the sum of twenty Billion naira in an interest yielding account.
The Court of Appeal in its ruling, agreed with the Kogi State Government that the suit was properly commenced at the High Court of Kogi State, and therefore Ordered the EFCC to go back to the High Court of Kogi State to file their defence.
The EFCC was challenging the decision of the High Court of Kogi State to assume jurisdiction over the suit.
Counsel to Kogi State Government, Muizudeen Abdullahi, a senior advocate of Nigeria, explained that
with the victory of the State Government in the appeal filed by EFCC, the anti-graft agency has therefore failed to prove its case against the government.
He pointed out that, contrary to a false narrative in some sections of the media, the appeal has nothing to do with the Ali Bello case, as he was neither a party to the appeal nor joined in the appeal.
Mr. Jubrin Okutepa, a SAN represented the EFCC in the matter.
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