Court dismisses move by Oyo shareholders to halt EFCC probe into alleged N15 million bribe

Justice Ekarete Akpan of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Friday dismissed a move by five kingmakers in Oyo State to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating them over alleged bribery.

In five separate rulings, judges ruled that it was impossible to restrain the EFCC from carrying out its constitutional duty to investigate alleged financial crimes.

Akpan added that merely interpreting the KPUD’s intentions, especially those bordering on the Rp15 billion bribery charge when the KPUD invited the applicants for questioning, did not constitute harassment.

Therefore, he rejected the application on the grounds of incompetence.

Counsel for the petitioners, IB Olayinka, in five separate applications urged the court to declare as fearless and unjust the continuous efforts by the EFCC to arrest and investigate his clients for alleged collection of cash prizes by kingmakers.

He added that the Oyo State government’s demand for the EFCC to investigate the decision-makers was a clear case of witch-hunting.

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The council said: “Just imagine, my lord, the kingmakers have completed their task of electing the next successor to the throne since September 22, 2022 and a year later, the state government is dissatisfied and blames the process.”

Counsel for the EFCC, Mr. SM Galadanchi, asked the court to dismiss Olayinka’s plea on the grounds that the two winning arbiters, Asimiyu Atanda and Lamidi Oyewale, graciously honored the EFCC’s invitation and provided very useful information.

Galadanchi argued that the two chiefs said the kingmakers reached a consensus on the next Alaafin after one of the aspirants to the throne identified as Lukman Gbadegesin bid N15 million each.

The quintet of Yusuf Ayoola, (Basorun), Lamidi Oyewale (Sanu), Asimiyu Atanda (Agbaakin), Hamzat Yusuf (Akinniku) and Wakeel Oyedapo have been locked in a dispute for about two years with the state government over allegations of corruption levelled against them in connection with the election of the Alaafin of Oyo.

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