Court Dismisses Suit Seeking to Bar ICPC from Probing Bauchi Security Votes
A Bauchi State High Court has dismissed an application seeking to restrain the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from investigating alleged financial infractions linked to security votes in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
In the suit marked BA/834M/2024, a group identified as Concerned Indigenes of Bauchi State had asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction against ICPC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
The applicants alleged that the three anti-graft agencies had failed to act on several petitions against the Bauchi SSG’s office, which they described as “a financial drainpipe against the interest of the populace.” They further urged the court to compel the agencies to hand over the matter to the Nigeria Police, accusing the Bauchi SSG of financial misconduct, including cash withdrawals allegedly in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
Read Also:
Counsel to the applicants, Mr. M.J. Jaldi, argued that the EFCC, ICPC, and NFIU had deliberately failed to act, making the Police the more competent agency to investigate the matter.
However, ICPC, in a counter-affidavit, urged the court to dismiss the application, warning against attempts to use the judiciary to subvert its statutory mandate. The Commission, supported by the EFCC, contended that the applicants had not presented any formal petitions to warrant their intervention and maintained that the applicants were free to approach other investigative bodies, including the Police, without seeking to bar the existing anti-graft agencies.
Delivering judgment, Justice F.U. Sarki upheld the statutory powers of ICPC, EFCC, and NFIU to investigate financial crimes, stressing that such powers do not exclude those of the Police.
“It is not within the powers of this court to restrain the 1st to 3rd Respondents from carrying out their statutory functions. The application is therefore consequently refused,” the judge ruled.
The ruling effectively allows the ICPC, EFCC, and NFIU to continue their oversight of financial transactions involving Bauchi State’s security votes.
By PRNigeria
