Alleged N19.3bn Kogi Bailout: Case Adjourned as EFCC Begs Court to Vacate Restraining Order

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Hearing of the application filed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to vacate the interim injunction of Kogi State High Court restraining the commission from taking any further action on the N19.3 billion Kogi bailout funds allegedly recovered from a hidden account in a commercial bank has been adjourned till January 27, 2022.

The EFCC had on November 19, 2021, announced the recovery of the funds and its return to the Central Bank of Nigeria by Sterling Bank.

The EFCC was later dragged to court by the Kogi State Government, Accountant General of the State, Momoh Jibrin and the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mukadam Asiru Idris, alleging that the publication of the recovery on the Commission’s Facebook page was defamatory and demanded a retraction and payment of N35 billion damages.

Following this, the court presided over by justice J.J Mejebi granted the applicants’ request, including “An interim injunction restraining the 1st Defendant/Respondent, its allies, agents, representatives, associates or whoever is acting for them or through them from doing anything either by inviting officials of the 1st Claimant or requesting for any document concerning the issue involving Account No 0073572696 or any other account purportedly belonging to the 1st Claimant/Applicant domiciled with Sterling Bank Plc or any other bank registered and operating in Nigeria or otherwise relating to or about the affairs of the first claimant whatsoever, or its employees, appointees or associates pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for Interlocutory Injunction.”

The court had fixed December 17, for a hearing of the motion on notice.

However, at the resumed sitting on Friday, the EFCC counsel led by J.S Okutepa, SAN, moved a motion asking the court to set aside its interim injunction restraining the Commission from doing anything in respect of the account number or any account belonging to the 1st applicant.

Justice Mjebi subsequently adjourned the matter until January 27, 2022, for a hearing of the motion.


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