The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, was Monday committed to prison for disobeying court orders.
In his judgment, Justice R.O. Ayoola of the Kogi State High Court granted the application for committal to prison of the EFCC chairman for disobeying a court ruling delivered on November 30, 2022 wherein the EFCC chairman was directed to produce the applicant in the case, Ali Bello.
The court also directed the Inspector-General of Police to effect Bawa’s arrest and remand him in Kuje prison for the next 14 days until he purges himself of the contempt.
Ali Bello had dragged Bawa to court for arresting and detaining him illegally, with the court ruling in his favour, but the EFCC arraigned him for alleged money laundering three days after the ruling.
“That arrest and detention of the Applicant on the 29th November, 2022 by the 1st and 2nd Respondents in the face of a subsisting Court Order made by a Court of competent jurisdiction and without a warrant of arrest or being informed of the offence for which he was arrested is unlawful, unconstitutional and contravenes the Applicant’s right to personal liberty and dignity of human person guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Articles 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” the judge ruled.
