Court dismisses suit seeking Olukoyede’s sack as EFCC chairman

A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the sack of Ola Olukoyede as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Obiora Egwuatu, presiding judge, dismissed the suit on the grounds that the applicant lacked the locus standi to institute the case.

Victor Opatola, the plaintiff who is an Abuja-based legal practitioner, instituted the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1403/2023 against President Bola Tinubu for appointing Olukoyede as EFCC chairman.

Besides the president, the national assembly, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and Olukoyede were joined as 2nd to 4th respondents respectively.

Opatola submitted that Olukoyede did not meet the years of service required by law for the office of chairman of the anti-graft agency.

He prayed the court to determine “whether by the true construction and interpretation of Section 2 (1) (a) of the EFCC Act 2004, Olukoyede, who has not fulfilled the conditions of the Act, can be validly appointed as EFCC chairman”.

“Whether by the true construction and interpretation of Section 2(1)(a) (iii) of the EFCC Act 2004, the interpretation of subsection (iii) should be read disjunctively of subsection (ii) of the act in a manner that Olukoyede, who was appointed to the office of the chairman of EFCC, can be said to have 15 years of cognate experience in any field outside the government security or law enforcement agency,” the suit reads. 

However, the respondents prayed the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.

Olukoyede through Olumide Fusika, his counsel, challenged the plaintiff’s authority to institute the suit.

He also claimed that he met all the requirements for the position of EFCC chairman.