Return Fayose’s houses, court tells EFCC
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Written by Biola Azeez and Stephen Gbadamosi
Thursday, 31 March 2011

FORMER governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has won in a suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in which he was contending the sealing off of his houses in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, by the commission.

In the final ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan over the matter, on Wednesday, the EFCC was said to have erred by sealing off two properties belonging to the former governor without any court order directing that the properties be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Delivering his ruling on the case, with suit number FHC/IB/CS/99/10, instituted against the anti-graft agency by the former governor, Justice Jonathan Shakarho said the action of the officials of the commission, who sealed off the Iyaganku GRA houses of the former governor, amounted to “malicious embarrassment of the plaintiff.”

Shakarho, while maintaining that the action of the EFCC officials was condemnable, awarded N10 million as exemplary damages in favour of Fayose.

The judge also restrained the commission or its officials from issuing “misleading press statements, publishing photographs and procuring the release of misleading information about the properties in the media.”

Justice Shakarho further ruled that the EFCC be restrained from sealing off any of the former governor’s properties or infringing on his fundamental and constitutional rights any further.

“The respondents, that is the EFCC, either by itself, its officers, agents, operatives, servants or privies, whosoever, are restrained from further issuing misleading press statements, publishing pictures of the applicant’s residences and or procuring the release of any misleading information in the print media, in any manner whatsoever, or from sealing off the building property and residences of the applicant, being at Plot 12, Block X and Plot 10, Block 1X, GRA Iyaganku, Ibadan, and or engaging in any manner of infringement of the fundamental and constitutional rights of the applicant,” the judge said.



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Fayose is Tunubu of Ekiti

I think the judge dont really understand what he is talking about?

lepa001:

Fayose is Tunubu of Ekiti

Why must you guys mention Tinubu here again?

I guess the Judge only did the needful by returning Fayose's belongings. To start with, on whose court order did EFCC sealed of the said property?

I think EFCC didnt follow due process in its dealings with Fayose. you cant just seal a man's property without any court order

another blight on the judiciary

Mai Suya:

another blight on the judiciary

Yes o, and many to come after the elections.

EFCC? were they really truthfull? they are tools in the hands of dem dem, abi una don forget?

The judge did not say that Ayo Fayose is free from what the EFCC is accusing him of. He only said that the EFCC should stop sealing the man's houses without any court order to that effect.

So this is not:

Mai Suya:

another blight on the judiciary

so the man is not guilty again

Fayose,

Ekiti ppl must hold monopoly over stubbornness. This man needs to find his root² 

o ga oooo

Let the right thing be done first but all the looters of Nigeria treasury shall not go unpunished.

The learned Judge is absolutely right. You cannot seal or sell any accused person's property wthout a court order. You have to prove the funds for the purchase of the houses were fraudulently obtained from govt cofers, illegally acquired, and then ask for court order for any action. This is to protect public citizens you and I from the whims and caprices of govt officials who may want to grab your property for themselves

EFCC should pay the cost and if they wish to pursue the case return Fayose to coup for due process

I am amazed that the EFCC staff do not know anything or refused to follow the due process in this case. They were full of excesses and grandiosity and so Fayose wins

this is another hole in the work of our friend ribadu.

alldone:

this is another hole in the work of our friend ribadu.

WHAT IS RIBADU BUSINESS WITH THIS?

Corruption sef !

We must vote wisely