Court jails EFCC president Bawa for contempt
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 a prison term for contempt.
The Nation newspaper reported that the judge, Chizoba Oji, sentenced Mr Bawa and ordered the Inspector General of Police to put him in Kuje Jail in Abuja for disobeying a previous court order .
Ms Oji, according to the report, convicted and jailed Mr Bawa on October 28 in a decision on a request by a former Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Director of Operations, Rufus Ojuawo.< /p>
The EFCC on Tuesday pledged to appeal the decision in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Ojuawo, a retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM), was previously prosecuted by the EFCC for corruption, but was acquitted by another FCT High Court judge.
In his motion for contempt of the EFCC and its chairman, Mr. Ojuawo accused the agency and its management of violating the November 21, 2018 court order ordering them to return his Range Rover seized (super charge) and 40 million naira to him.
The order has existed since the days of Ibrahim Magu as acting president of the EFCC. The commission continued to disobey the court order after Mr. Bawa became president of the EFCC in February 2021.
EFCC's lawyer, Francis Jirbo, attempted to justify the EFCC's failure to comply with the court order during the hearing of Mr. Ojuawo's motion.
But the judge rejected the lawyer's arguments before sentencing Mr. Bawa on October 28.
Ms Oji then ordered the Inspector General of Police to remand the hater in Kuje Jail in Abuja.
"The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is in defiance of the orders of this Honorable Tribunal issued on November 21, 2018 ordering the Abuja Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to return the Plaintiff's Range Rover (super charge ) and the sum of N40,000,000.00 (Forty Million Naira).
"Having continued willfully disobeying the order of this court, he should be committed to the Kuje Correctional Center for his disobedience and continued disobedience of the said court order issued on November 21, 2018, until he purges himself of contempt.
“The Inspector General of Police will see to it that the order of this honorable court is carried out forthwith,” the judge ordered in the certified copy of the decision seen by The Nation on Tuesday.
The newspaper reported that Mr. Ojuawo had filed the request for Mr. Bawa's committal in the case marked FCT/HC/M/52/2021.
We are appealing the decision - EFCCMeanwhile Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson for the EFCC, said the anti-corruption agency would appeal Ms Oji's decision.
In a brief telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Mr. Uwujaren said: "There is no problem with this, we are appealing the decision."
BackgroundThe anti-corruption agency had arraigned Mr. Ojuawo in 2016 on two counts before another judge in Nyanya, Abuja Division of the FCT High Court, Muawiyah Idris.
The prosecution accused the ex-military chief of corruptly receiving bribes worth N40 million and a (supercharged) Range Rover Sport worth N29.250 million from a Nigerian Air Force contractor - Hima Aboubakar of equipment company International Nigeria Limited.
READ ALSO: 2023: EFCC to monitor candidate sources and party funds - BawaBut the judge acquitted Mr. Ojuawo in a judgment delivered on November 21, 2018.
In dismissing the suit, the judge found that the EFCC had failed to prove that Mr. Ojuawo had accepted the gifts while carrying out his official duty as a military leader, and that the gifts were incentives or rewards.
"The accused is acquitted and acquitted on counts one and two," Mr. Idris said.
Therefore, the judge said: "...I consider that the prosecution (EFCC) has failed to prove both counts of corrupt gratuity under s.17(1) (a) and (c) Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act 2000.
"Accordingly, the Complainant (EFCC) is ordered to reimburse the Respondent for his N40,000,000 wrongfully paid into the ONSA collection account and to return to the Respondent his Range Rover Sport (S...
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 a prison term for contempt.
The Nation newspaper reported that the judge, Chizoba Oji, sentenced Mr Bawa and ordered the Inspector General of Police to put him in Kuje Jail in Abuja for disobeying a previous court order .
Ms Oji, according to the report, convicted and jailed Mr Bawa on October 28 in a decision on a request by a former Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Director of Operations, Rufus Ojuawo.< /p>
The EFCC on Tuesday pledged to appeal the decision in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Ojuawo, a retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM), was previously prosecuted by the EFCC for corruption, but was acquitted by another FCT High Court judge.
In his motion for contempt of the EFCC and its chairman, Mr. Ojuawo accused the agency and its management of violating the November 21, 2018 court order ordering them to return his Range Rover seized (super charge) and 40 million naira to him.
The order has existed since the days of Ibrahim Magu as acting president of the EFCC. The commission continued to disobey the court order after Mr. Bawa became president of the EFCC in February 2021.
EFCC's lawyer, Francis Jirbo, attempted to justify the EFCC's failure to comply with the court order during the hearing of Mr. Ojuawo's motion.
But the judge rejected the lawyer's arguments before sentencing Mr. Bawa on October 28.
Ms Oji then ordered the Inspector General of Police to remand the hater in Kuje Jail in Abuja.
"The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is in defiance of the orders of this Honorable Tribunal issued on November 21, 2018 ordering the Abuja Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to return the Plaintiff's Range Rover (super charge ) and the sum of N40,000,000.00 (Forty Million Naira).
"Having continued willfully disobeying the order of this court, he should be committed to the Kuje Correctional Center for his disobedience and continued disobedience of the said court order issued on November 21, 2018, until he purges himself of contempt.
“The Inspector General of Police will see to it that the order of this honorable court is carried out forthwith,” the judge ordered in the certified copy of the decision seen by The Nation on Tuesday.
The newspaper reported that Mr. Ojuawo had filed the request for Mr. Bawa's committal in the case marked FCT/HC/M/52/2021.
We are appealing the decision - EFCCMeanwhile Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson for the EFCC, said the anti-corruption agency would appeal Ms Oji's decision.
In a brief telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Mr. Uwujaren said: "There is no problem with this, we are appealing the decision."
BackgroundThe anti-corruption agency had arraigned Mr. Ojuawo in 2016 on two counts before another judge in Nyanya, Abuja Division of the FCT High Court, Muawiyah Idris.
The prosecution accused the ex-military chief of corruptly receiving bribes worth N40 million and a (supercharged) Range Rover Sport worth N29.250 million from a Nigerian Air Force contractor - Hima Aboubakar of equipment company International Nigeria Limited.
READ ALSO: 2023: EFCC to monitor candidate sources and party funds - BawaBut the judge acquitted Mr. Ojuawo in a judgment delivered on November 21, 2018.
In dismissing the suit, the judge found that the EFCC had failed to prove that Mr. Ojuawo had accepted the gifts while carrying out his official duty as a military leader, and that the gifts were incentives or rewards.
"The accused is acquitted and acquitted on counts one and two," Mr. Idris said.
Therefore, the judge said: "...I consider that the prosecution (EFCC) has failed to prove both counts of corrupt gratuity under s.17(1) (a) and (c) Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act 2000.
"Accordingly, the Complainant (EFCC) is ordered to reimburse the Respondent for his N40,000,000 wrongfully paid into the ONSA collection account and to return to the Respondent his Range Rover Sport (S...
What's Your Reaction?
