The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has faulted Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court for granting a perpetual injunction to a former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Peter Odili, which has scuttled the ex-governor’s prosecution.

Buba’s order has prevented the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and any other government anti-corruption agency from prosecuting or arresting Odili, who was accused of allegedly embezzling about N100bn of Rivers State money during his eight-year tenure as governor.

Sagay further stated that the case could be reopened, adding that measures were being put in place to ensure that such an order was never granted again.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria stated, “What is happening now is unconstitutional; that judgment was unconstitutional. The judge who gave that perpetual injunction did what was unconstitutional.

“In effect, he was saying that the police should not do their work. He was removing the prosecutorial powers of the police and the prosecution in Nigeria.

“It is illegal and Supreme Court judgments have said so. So, the whole thing we should do now is to restore legality so that if you are charged, you should be able to come to court and defend yourself instead of asking that you should not be investigated.

“That (Odili’s injunction) is totally illegal and unconstitutional and not acceptable.”

Responding to reports that the long delay in the case might have weakened the resolve of security agencies as well as compromised evidence, Sagay urged law enforcement agencies not to give up.

He added, “The important thing is not to give up because if you give up, the whole system will collapse.

“Personally, I have said any judge that gives an order of perpetual injunction against investigation, interrogation and arrest, should be regarded as having committed a serious act of wrongdoing, which should merit disciplinary action by the NJC. That is my proposal and I am going to push it that it should be regarded as an action that should attract discipline.

“I can assure you that under the new system that we are all running, there is no case that will be allowed to remain permanently under injunction. They will have to go through the process and be declared guilty or not guilty; in case of suspended cases, where a person is neither guilty nor innocent will no longer be allowed to exist.

“This case can be reopened, definitely.”

On December 12, 2006, the EFCC had issued an interim investigative report and prepared a draft of 223 charges against Odili, accusing him of embezzling N100bn during his tenure.

In a counter-move, the then Attorney General of the state, and later Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia (SAN), on February 23, 2007, sued the EFCC, the then Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and other defendants in a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.

In the suit, Buba of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted Odili’s prayer to bar the EFCC from investigating, prosecuting or ever harassing him and officials of his administration.

It was learnt that the EFCC had filed an appeal at the appellate court since 2008 but the case had not been assigned to anybody.

A source at the EFCC stated, “We went to see two Presidents of the Court of Appeal but they never showed interest in the case. It has been eight years that we have been trying to vacate that order to no avail.

“This kind of thing demoralises detectives because evidence may have been compromised, victims or witnesses would have moved on while some of the investigators may have been transferred or retired.”

An EFCC prosecutor, Johnson Ojogbene, told reporters recently that the EFCC had appealed the judgment, adding that Odili’s case was presently hanging at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division.

He stated that there was the need for proper synergy between the judiciary and the anti-graft agencies in the anti-corruption fight as there was noting the EFCC or anyone could do to overturn the judgment of any court except to appeal.

Ojogbene noted that when the judiciary failed to cooperate, cases could be stalled for ages.


https://www.today.ng/news/nigeria/191389/moves-reopen-peter-odilis-n100bn-fraud-case

Ok

Peter Odili chop money eh, Kai.

On a kumkum levels

Now this is fge best news in a long time

Cutehector:
Peter Odili chop money eh, Kai.

On a kumkum levels

do you have evidence against him?

Peter Odili had better announced his defection to APC now to have this pass over him!

Tolexander:
Peter Odili had better announced his defection to APC now to have this pass over him!

the party of saint abi

lol

robosky02:



do you have evidence against him?

dat is why I said on a kumkum

Na una Sabi

ok

ok, Amaechi continue

Who corruption charges help?

Another case that will not yield any result... Lets not forget that Peter Odili's wife is a current supreme court justice and do you think that if this case makes it to supreme court, even if his wife recuse herself that the other jusctices would convict him

EFCC are bunch of jokers, they have never convicted any high profile politician.

Orji uzor kalu, Chimaroke NNamani, Achike Udenwa, former Jigawa state governor and son and the list goes on my friends... They all walked free

Make i hear something abegi

so they want to jump amaechi and reopen Peter Odili's file, I thought they wanted to do the investigations according to who ruled last before the present administration... If you quote me and tell me rubbish you will die before mid night

The judiciary is the major problem of this country's democracy.

Wait, I thought APC supporters said buhari will only probe those that served during jonathan's time. But odili was governor during obasanjo's time na

Dele Giwa murderers case was also reopened for like three months now no fvcking news heard about that and now another case of fraud!

where are we really heading to in this Rusticated system kind of government


confused government and confused set of clueless entities

This Committee wants to exhume a case that was signed, sealed, delivered and buried after 10 years Don't they have more pressing issues to attend to ? Okay you want to recover the money ( impossible) or jail Odili (another iimpossibility).
In any case why jump to 1999-2007? What of all those governors that served from 2007-2015?
Maybe they have approached Odili and he refused to join their party .

Like seriously

What of Halliburton scandal

Now, its ideal to jump the previous governor and go after someone who left the seat almost a decade ago but they said it would be wrong jumping GEJ administration to persecute those he took over from......

APC, Govt of two edged sword..

Can someone please probe tinubu

Guess he has been identified as one of the ppl backing NDA.
Operation crush all opposition.

EFFC should be autonomous in deciding who to go after not FG calling the shot... Dats y corruption in Nigerian is partisan in nature

When will DullardPoo reopen his goggled junior and former boss case file
Oh, I forgot that he has been canonised as NOT stealing our money.
Meanwhile the family he left behind are seriously enjoying the remaining loot.

reportnaija:
69-year-old widow of late former military leader, Sani Abacha, Mrs Maryam is pictured at a wedding last Saturday in Abuja. More photos after the cut..


www.nairaland.com/attachments/3621936_b_jpeg0ffe7dcb11da9a174bea48bd356ea1ba


www.nairaland.com/attachments/3621935_a_jpeg14a53cac5a312f3d1ad4980fec051d42



source: http://www.reportnaija.com/2016/04/former-first-lady-maryam-abacha-spotted.html

www.nairaland.com/attachments/3267407_abacha_jpeg5dbd38353fc0f4bfc47236b71cb78dbe



www.nairaland.com/attachments/2733734_munch20150812080810_jpeg1d11e13a327d33cec402de71dc2a8eb7

To what end is this adminstraction heading to.The country is in recession,her citizens are going through sufferings and hard time.No body is seeing to the urgency this recession demand.

Rather the Media anti-corruption fight is their periority.Prof.itse sagay and his co-travellers are disgrace to intellectuals for involving themselves in this Media corruption fight.

Dr.Peter Odili had a perpetual injunction preventing EFCC and police from investigating this case for the past 8 years plus.You obvious know every evidences to prosecute this case has being buried and sealed.You stil want to open the case you will definetely loose.

One thing can explain this nonsense.Some people are eating fat from this media anti-corruption fight.Thus they are engaging in plethora of cases to swollen their pockets.Which corruption is worst than this.A clear explanation to government wasteful spending in the mist of lack.

Chaiiiii

Mr Peter...problem is coming for you o

What of amaechi?... As far as am concern.... The present frd.govt... efcc... Are all bunch of.jokers.. And after some elements would rally round to say d dullard's corruption war ain't one sided... smh... To all who say injustice is good... may ur fathers brotger come and take ur fathers property while he is still alive...

This man is playing with fire that will result to an unstoppable inferno

hmm na wa o

Chai! Buhari is just too much. Imagine had Nuhu Ribadu not shown Obassanjo Odili's corruption dossier back in late 2006, Odili would have been become Yaradua's running mate and eventually most likely president. One cannot just imagine the grave implications an Odili presidency would have had on the nation. At least we were saddled with the ineffectual bufoon