The Court of Appeal has overturned contempt proceedings initiated by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello against Olanipekun Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), News About Nigeria reports.
In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Joseph Oyewole, the appellate court nullified the contempt proceedings, overruling the preliminary objection raised by the respondent on technical grounds.
The court noted that the trial judge did not extend the orders issued on February 9 in the final judgement delivered on April 17.
Justice Oyewole further stated that the interim order issue raised by the former governor had become a moot point.
Previously, the Appellate Court had granted an ex-parte motion to stay the contempt proceedings filed against Olukoyede by ex-governor Bello.
The court also allowed the EFCC’s request to serve appeal documents on Bello via substituted means and set the hearing of the motion on notice for May 20.
The EFCC Chairman had been summoned by the Kogi State High Court to appear in May to justify why he should not be imprisoned for allegedly disobeying its orders.
However, Olukoyede appealed the ruling and sought a stay of the proceedings.
The Kogi State High Court’s ruling was based on the premise that the EFCC Chairman carried out certain actions in violation of a court order issued on February 9, which restrained the EFCC from those actions pending the determination of the substantive originating motion.
Justice I.A. Jamil had ruled that the EFCC’s actions were in violation of a valid and subsisting court order.
