An Abuja high court sitting in Maitama has ordered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa be remanded in Kuje prison for contempt.
Presiding Judge Chizoba Oji ruled that Bawa failed to comply with a previous court order urging the EFCC to return a vehicle and cash belonging to Air Vice Marshall Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo who had filed a motion against the EFCC.
“The Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is in contempt of the orders of this honourable court made on November 21st2018 directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abuja to return to the applicant his Range Rover (Supercharge) and the sum of N40, 000,000.00 (Forty Million Naira).
“Having continued wilfully in disobedience to the order of this court, he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience, and continued disobedience of the said order of court made on November 21st, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt.
“The Inspector General of Police shall ensure that the order of this honourable court is executed forthwith,” Justice Oji ruled.
The EFCC had arraigned Ojuawo on a two-count charge before Justice Muawiyah Baba Idris of the High Court of the FCT in Nyanya in 2016.
But, in a judgment on November 21, 2018, Justice Idris discharged and acquitted Ojuawo on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove its case.
“Consequently, the complainant (EFCC) is ordered to refund the defendant his N40,000,000 wrongly paid into ONSA recovery account and to return to the defendant his Range Rover Sport (Supercharged) forthwith,” Justice Idris had ruled.
