 |
| Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers State |
The Supreme Court has dismissed appeals by the Rivers State Attorney-General and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, removing a significant obstacle for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate Peter Odili’s tenure as governor of Rivers State.
The legal battle stems from a 2007 Federal High Court injunction obtained by Odili, which had previously shielded him from EFCC investigation, arrest, or prosecution, including scrutiny of the state’s finances during his time in office from 1999 to 2007.
The EFCC has been contesting this injunction since 2008.
In 2018, the Court of Appeal granted the EFCC leave to challenge the Federal High Court’s ruling, but the Rivers State Attorney General and the Speaker of the House of Assembly responded by filing appeals at the Supreme Court.
During the Supreme Court hearing on Monday, March 10, 2025, Justice John Okoro, leading a five-member panel, sought clarity on the case’s substance.
S. A. Somiari, representing the appellants, clarified that the appeal challenged the Court of Appeal’s decision to grant the EFCC leave to appeal the 2007 orders.
Justice Okoro interjected, advising that the substantive appeal be heard in the Court of Appeal before further action at the Supreme Court.
Consequently, Somiari withdrew the appeal, a motion that the respondents did not oppose. The court then dismissed the appeal.
A similar decision was made regarding the appeal filed by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly
0 comments:
Post a Comment