Court Strikes Out Sanwo-Olu’s Suit Against EFCC Over Alleged Post-Tenure Arrest Threats

A lawsuit filed by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, seeking to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting him after his tenure, has been struck out.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the case after Sanwo-Olu’s counsel, Gbenga Femi Akande, moved a motion to discontinue the matter.

Previously, Justice Abdulmalik had adjourned the case on October 29 to November 26 for further mention. This followed a submission by EFCC’s lawyer, Hadiza Afegbua, stating that the agency had not yet received the updated originating summons filed by Sanwo-Olu’s counsel, Darlington Ozurumba.

Although the case was scheduled for November 26, it was not listed on the court’s cause list, and no lawyer representing the governor was present. Out of the ten cases slated for hearing, the suit—FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024—was absent from the day’s proceedings.

Reports revealed that the case had already been struck out on October 31 after being withdrawn.

Sanwo-Olu had initially filed the suit against the EFCC as the sole defendant, alleging threats of arrest, detention, and prosecution related to his tenure as governor. In his originating summons filed on June 6, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024, he posed seven questions and sought 11 reliefs, including an order restraining the EFCC from any form of harassment, intimidation, arrest, detention, or prosecution.

The EFCC, however, denied the allegations, describing them as speculative. In a counter-affidavit dated October 30 and filed on October 31, the EFCC stated that it had not threatened, invited, or taken any action to infringe upon Sanwo-Olu’s rights, including his freedom of movement and personal liberty.