The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has been ordered to appear before the Kogi High Court in Lokoja on May 13, over allegations of disobeying a court order.
Justice I.A. Jamil, presiding over High Court IV, issued the summons in response to a suit filed by Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State.
During Friday’s proceedings, it was revealed that the EFCC had allegedly violated a standing order issued on February 9, which restrained the agency from taking certain actions against Bello until a substantive motion was resolved.
The EFCC’s action involved a siege of Bello’s residence on April 17 in an attempt to arrest him despite the court’s clear directive.
Justice Jamil, addressing the court, noted that the actions taken by the EFCC under Olukoyede’s leadership constituted an act of contempt.
In response to a motion ex-parte by Bello’s lawyer, M.S. Yusuf, the court agreed that the EFCC chairman must appear to explain why he should not be held in contempt for these alleged violations.
The court’s decision underscores the tension between the judiciary’s orders and the actions of law enforcement agencies, emphasizing the principle of ‘Audi Ultra Patem’—listening to both sides.
