EFCC Speaks On Being Behind Ekweremadu’s Travails In UK

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has faulted the claim by Senator Ike Ekweremadu that it was behind his travails at the London Court where he had been in detention over alleged organ harvesting.

Naija News earlier reported that Ekweremadu, who has been in custody in London over an alleged organ harvest, told the Federal High Court that the EFCC wrote a letter to the London Court which made the foreign court refuse to admit him to bail.

He made the allegation in an application he filed before the Nigerian court seeking an order of the court to set aside interim order granted in favour of the Federal Government forfeiture of his 40 properties in the country and outside the country.

EFCC Reacts

Reacting to the claim, counsel to the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN) told Justice Inyang Ekwo while arguing his counter affidavit filed in opposition to a motion filed by Ekweremadu’s eldest son, Lloyd, seeking a court order vacating the Nov. 4 interim order of forfeiture on 40 property linked to his father.

Tahir disagreed with Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), lawyer to Ekweremadu, who had earlier, in his argument, said that the anti-graft agency wrote a letter to the London court that made the foreign court refuse to admit his client to bail.

But Tahir denied that the anti-corruption commission was behind Ekweremadu’s ordeal, stressing that though the EFCC wrote a letter to the London court, it was based on a special request from the court.

The lawyer said the allegation raised by Ekweremadus about the complicity of the EFCC in the senator’s travail was a total misconception.

He said the EFCC was neither the agency that arrested Ekweremadu and his wife in London nor was it a party in the case abroad.

Tahir, who said that a government agency in London requested for information, said it was an international best practice that different international agencies share information, including the Interpol, FBI, etc, to help facilitate their work.

The lawyer prayed the court to dismiss Ekweremadu’s application seeking an order to set aside the forfeiture order.

Earlier, Chief Awomolo, while arguing the motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1242/2022 which was filed by Lloyd, had alleged that the EFCC was responsible for the prolonged detention of his client.

‘EFCC Responsible For My Father’s Travails’

But in the affidavit in support of the motion filed by Lloyd, Ekweremadu’s son alleged that the EFCC was responsible for the continued detention of his father abroad.

According to Lloyd, the Crown Prosecution Service, who is the prosecuting authority in the UK as part of the proceedings in connection with the bail application of my parents, wrote to the Chairman and Chief Executive of the respondent (EFCC) on the 17th day of July, 2022 concerning my father’s records with the commission.

He said that the EFCC, in a letter referenced: CB 9000/EFCC/DOPS/Vol.03/10, dated July 18 and signed by ACE I. Abdulkarim Chukkol, replied to the Metropolitan Police Central Specialist Crime, London.

He alleged that the anti-graft agency, in the letter, stated that the “investigation is at an advanced stage and the commission is working towards non-conviction based forfeiture of some of the properties and subsequent filing of criminal charges against the subject and his co-conspirators.”

According to Lloyd, the letter was relied upon in the process as filed by the Crown Prosecution, to oppose the bail application and the bail was among other reasons refused on the basis of the letter from the respondent (EFCC).

Awomolo, therefore, urged the court to vacate the interim order that it was filed in bad faith.

Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until January 25 for a ruling.