Court Rejects Sanwo-Olu’s Attempt To Block EFCC Arrest After Tenure

 

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the suit filed by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, seeking to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting him after his tenure ends.

The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, struck out the case after Gbenga Akande, counsel for Sanwo-Olu, moved a motion to discontinue the suit.

The case was officially dismissed on October 31.

Sanwo-Olu’s legal team, led by Darlington Ozurumba, had filed the suit over an alleged plan by the EFCC to arrest and prosecute the governor following the completion of his tenure in May 2027.

The suit claimed that such actions would violate Sanwo-Olu’s constitutional rights, including his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement as guaranteed by Sections 35(1) & (4) and 41(1) of the Constitution.

The suit sought an order restraining the EFCC from harassing, intimidating, arresting, detaining, interrogating, or prosecuting the governor in connection with his time in office.

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However, the Lagos State government later clarified that Sanwo-Olu had not authorized anyone to file the suit on his behalf.

State Attorney-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, stated that the government would investigate how the suit was filed without the governor’s knowledge, adding that neither Sanwo-Olu nor his aides were under investigation by the EFCC.

He further emphasized that there were no threats of arrest from the anti-graft agency.

In a counter affidavit, Ufuoma Ezire, a litigation secretary for the EFCC, confirmed that the commission was not investigating Sanwo-Olu and had not made any threats to arrest the governor or his staff.

During the hearing, Hadiza Afegbua, EFCC counsel, appeared in court but expressed surprise upon learning that the case had been dismissed on October 31.

The enrolled order from the court indicated that only Akande, representing Sanwo-Olu, attended the proceedings that led to the dismissal.