The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the finances of the Rivers State from 2007 till date.
This followed the dismissal of the appeal filed by Rivers State to block the EFCC’s probe into former Governor Peter Odili’s tenure as governor of the state.
In 2007, Odili secured a perpetual injunction from a Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt, preventing the EFCC from investigating or arresting him.
This court order also prohibited the anti-graft agency from probing the finances of the state.
As a result of this order, other former governors of the state like Chibuike Amaechi and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike also claimed that the perpetual injunction covers their tenures as well.
But the Supreme Court on Monday, rejected two appeals by the attorney general of Rivers State and the speaker of the state House of Assembly on the matter.
These appeals sought to overturn the leave granted to the EFCC to contest an order that barred the investigation of Peter Odili’s tenure as governor.
The EFCC had requested the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal the federal high court’s decision after the deadline had passed.
The appellate court granted this request, prompting the attorney general and the speaker of Rivers State to appeal to the Supreme Court.
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On Monday, the appeal filed by the attorney general of Rivers State, marked SC/CV/318/2018, was called and when Justice John Okoro, presiding over a five-member panel, inquired about the substance of the case,
the appellant’s lawyer, S. A. Somiari (SAN), explained that it was an interlocutory appeal against the leave granted by the Court of Appeal for the EFCC to appeal the 2007 orders issued by the Federal High Court.
On hearing this, Justice Okoro stopped Somiari midway and said the appeal would not be entertained by the apex court.
Consequently, the appellant’s counsel did proceed further.
With this development, the EFCC may now open the financial books of Rivers State from 2007 till date, adding to the existing tension in the state over the Wike-Fubara confrontation.
