The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) can investigate the tenure of former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili.
This decision came after the apex court dismissed appeals filed by the Rivers State Attorney General and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, who sought to prevent the anti-graft agency from probing Odili’s administration.
The case dates back to 2007 when Odili secured an injunction from the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, barring the EFCC from investigating him or looking into the state’s financial activities during his time as governor from 1999 to 2007.
News About Nigeria reports that the EFCC has been challenging this ruling since 2008, but the injunction remained in place for nearly two decades, preventing any scrutiny of Odili’s administration.
In 2018, the Court of Appeal granted the EFCC permission to challenge the 2007 ruling, prompting legal action from Rivers State officials who attempted to stop the Commission’s appeal.
The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, where a five-member panel led by Justice John Okoro dismissed the appeals, stating that they were not the kind of cases the court would entertain at this stage.
During the hearing, the lawyer representing the appellants acknowledged the court’s stance and withdrew the appeals.
With no objections from the EFCC’s legal team, the Supreme Court dismissed the case.
A separate but related appeal filed by the Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker was also struck out on the same basis.
With this ruling, the EFCC now has the legal backing to proceed with its investigation into Odili’s time in office.
