A Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, has dismissed two suits filed by former members of the Abia State House of Assembly seeking to stop the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) from investigating them over alleged corruption-related activities while in office.
The former lawmakers, Kalu Chikwendu and Apugo Chukwudi J., had approached the court to restrain the anti-graft agency from inviting or investigating them in connection with a petition bordering on their conduct during their tenure in the state legislature.
The suits, marked FHC/UM/CS/108/2025 and FHC/UM/CS/109/2025, challenged the legality of Section 28 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, under which the commission issued invitations to the ex-lawmakers.
They argued that Section 28 of the Act was inconsistent with Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee the rights to personal liberty and fair hearing.
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However, in its judgment, the court held that the ICPC possesses the statutory authority to investigate allegations bordering on corruption and related offences, stressing that Section 28 of the Act does not conflict with the constitutional provisions cited by the plaintiffs.
The court further ruled that the suits were an attempt to use the judicial process as a shield against lawful investigation, describing the action as an abuse of court process.
It refused all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs, warning that granting such prayers would amount to providing judicial cover for individuals seeking to evade the lawful exercise of the commission’s statutory mandate.
In addition, the court found that the cases were initiated mala fide and awarded costs of ₦500,000 against each of the plaintiffs, bringing the total cost to ₦1million.
The ruling effectively clears the way for the ICPC to proceed with its investigation into the allegations against the two former lawmakers.
