Court restrains EFCC from arresting Batagarawa, former defence minister, over land dispute

A federal capital territory high court in Jabi, Abuja, has issued an interim order restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting or detaining Lawal Batagarawa, a former minister of defence, over a land dispute.

Yusuf Halilu, the presiding judge, also restrained the “commission and its agents, privies, or anyone acting on their behalf, from inviting, harassing, intimidating, or otherwise threatening” Batagarawa, pending the determination of the applicant’s suit.

The judge granted the applicant leave to serve the originating process and other processes on the second, third, and fourth respondents by substituted means.

The case, marked CV/4123/2024, lists the EFCC, Sanusi Mohammed (head, bank fraud section), Umar Imran (investigating police officer), Patrick Ineke, and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) as the first to fifth respondents, respectively.

In the fundamental rights enforcement suit, the former minister alleged that he had been subjected to repeated summons and harassing phone calls from EFCC agents.

In an affidavit attached to the suit, Batagarawa cited various instances of harassment, including his detention at the EFCC’s office on August 19 and 20, 2024, for 10 hours before being released on administrative bail.

He argued that the EFCC’s actions were based on “false allegations orchestrated” by the fourth respondent in the suit, Ineke, and his legal representatives, who claimed ownership of the disputed plot of land.

The claim was allegedly based on a supposed transaction between Ineke; one Mrs. Allah, now deceased, and Wilson Osuagwu, who had served as Batagarawa’s orderly in 2001 during his tenure as minister of defence.

The former minister said the land in question was allocated to his company, Lamda Beta Investment Limited, by the federal capital development authority (FCDA) in 2001.

He exhibited documents evidencing the payments made for the right of occupancy and other fees, amounting to N3,050,683.33, through Intercity Bank PLC on June 16, 2001.

The judge adjourned the case to October 31 for the hearing of the substantive suit.