Lokoja – Kogi State Government has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to court over the controversial N20 billion bailout funds allegedly lodged in a fixed deposit account with Sterling Bank Plc.
The EFCC had accused the state government under Governor Yahaya Bello of lodging the money in the account.
The state government which had vehemently denied the ownership of the money is demanding N35 billion as damages from the EFCC over “defamatory publication”.
The Motion on Notice shall be heard on December 17, 2021.
In a similar vein, the State Government has succeeded in getting a court injunctions against the EFCC, restraining agency from issuing further official or unofficial publications over the issue involving the bank account or any other account purportedly belonging to the Kogi State Government.
Justice J.J. Majebi of a Kogi State High Court granted the interim injunction when the matter was brought before him.
The State Accountant-General, Momoh Jibrin, and Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiru Asiwaju filed the suit on behalf of the state government while the EFCC, a new generation bank and Central Bank of Nigeria were listed as defendants.
Kogi State is demanding “ N35 billion only as damages against the first defendant for the defamatory publication, titled, ‘Hidden N19.3 bn Kogi salary bailout funds returned to CBN’ made on November 19, 2021 on the agency’s Facebook page.
The allegation, containing among others, allegations of N19.3 billion being returned from Kogi State bailout account, which portrays fraud and misappropriation of public fund against the claimant.”
The High Court granted the following: “An interim injunction restraining the 1st Defendant/Respondents, its allies, agents, representatives, associates or whoever is acting for them or through them from doing anything either by way of publication or print or electronic media or issuing any official or unofficial publication in any print or electronic media, including online publication on its website or social media, both locally and internationally, with respect to the issues involving Account No. 0073572696 or any other account purportedly belonging to the 1st Claimant/Applicant domiciled with any bank registered and operating in Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injuction.
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“An interim injunction restraining the 1st Defendant/Respondent, its allies, agents, representatives, associates or whoever is acting for them or through them from doing anything either by inviting officials of the 1st Claimant or requesting for any document with respect to the issue involving Account No 0073572696 or any other account purportedly belonging to the 1st Claimant/Applicant domiciled with any bank registered and operating in Nigeria or otherwise relating to or pertaining to the affairs of the 1st Claimant whatsoever or its employees, appointees or associates pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.”
The plaintiff asked the Court to declare that the publication by the EFCC containing, amongst others, allegations of N19.3 billion being returned was defamatory of the Kogi State Government. (vitalnews)
