A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has deferred hearing on fundamental right enforcement suits filed by the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Saraki had filed the suits to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from re-opening investigation against him.

The suits were originally scheduled for hearing on Monday (today) but were however, adjourned till July 2 to await the outcome of a petition the EFCC lodged against Justice Taiwo Taiwo who is presiding over the matter.

The anti-graft agency had in a petition it sent to the Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice Abdul Abdul-Kafarati on May 21, accused Justice Taiwo of being biased against it.

In the letter that was personally signed by EFCC’s Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, the agency, decried that the Judge had on May 9 and 14, granted two different ex-parte orders that restrained it from continuing its investigations against both Saraki and the erstwhile governor of Imo State who is now in the Senate, Rochas Okorocha.

Consequently, the EFCC prayed the High Court CJ to transfer the two suits that were separately lodged by Saraki and Okorocha, to another Judge for hearing.

At the resumed proceeding on the case on Monday, Justice Taiwo adjourned the planned hearing to await the outcome of the petition against him.

The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, had through the Solicitor General of the Federation, Dayo Apata, filed a counter-affidavit for the suits to be dismissed as lacking in merit.

Similarly, counsel to the EFCC, Chile Okoroma, equally queried the competence of the suit, adding that the anti-graft agency had also filed processes to oppose it.

Justice Taiwo had directed all the parties to exchange filed processes to enable the court to proceed to full blown hearing of the matter, before the petition was entered against him.

Other respondents in the matter include the Department of State Services, the Inspector-General of Police, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, and the Code of Conduct Tribunal.


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