Court dismisses Sanwo-Olu’s suit to stop EFCC from arresting him after tenure expires

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has struck out the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik struck out the matter after counsel who appeared for Mr Sanwo-Olu, Gbenga Femi Akande, moved the motion for the discontinuance of the case.

Ms Abdulmalik had, on October 29, fixed November 26 (Tuesday) for further mention.

The adjournment followed the submission of the EFCC’s lawyer, Hadiza Afegbua, that she was yet to see the fresh originating summons served on them by Darlington Ozurumba, who filed the suit on the governor’s behalf.

However, it was observed that the matter was not listed on today’s cause list, and no governor’s lawyer was in court.

Out of the 10 cases scheduled for hearing before Ms Abdulmalik, the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024 between Mr Sanwo-Olu and EFCC was not on the Tuesday cause list.

When a correspondent asked the court workers why the matter was not listed, it was learnt that the case had been struck out on October 31 after it was withdrawn.

Meanwhile, there was a mild drama as the EFCC lawyer, Ms Afegbua, was sighted in court for the matter.

The anti-graft counsel, who had been appearing in the matter, was disappointed to see that the case was not on the cause list.

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Besides, she was taken aback when informed that the suit had been struck out on October 31.

Ms Afegbua, who refused to speak with journalists, left the court disappointed.

However, the enrolled order made on October 31 showed that only the plaintiff’s lawyer, Mr Akande, was in the proceeding, leading to the striking out of the case.

Again, while the notice of discontinuance of the suit was dated and filed on October 30, the hearing notice issued to parties for November 26 (today’s) sitting was equally dated October 30.

Mr Sanwo-Olu, through his counsel, Mr Ozurumba, had sued the anti-graft agency as a sole defendant over the alleged threat to arrest, detain and prosecute him after his tenure as governor.

In the originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024, dated and filed June 6, the governor raised seven questions and sought 11 reliefs.

He sought an order restraining the EFCC from harassing, intimidating, arresting, detaining, interrogating or prosecuting him in connection with his tenure as the governor of Lagos State, among others.

But the EFCC, in its counter affidavit, urged the court not to grant the reliefs sought by Mr Sanwo-Olu, describing it as speculative.

The anti-corruption agency, in the application dated October 30 but filed on October 31 by its lawyer, Ms Afegbua, said contrary to the governor’s claims, the EFCC neither threatened, invited or took any step at all to infringe on his right to freedom of movement nor violated his right to private and family life and personal liberty.

Court dismisses Sanwo-Olu’s suit to stop EFCC from arresting him after tenure expires

(NAN)

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.

The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.

His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.

“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.

“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.

“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.

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• Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.

Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.

According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.

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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.

Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.

He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

(NAN)