Court strikes out Ajumogobia’s suit against EFCC

EMBATTLED Judge of a Federal High Court in Lagos, Rita Ngozi Ofili Ajumogobia, on Tuesday had her case against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission struck out by Justice Muslim Hassan of the same Federal High Court.

Ajumogobia had instituted a fundamental rights suit against EFCC, declaring her arrest and subsequent detention as illegal.

Justice Hassan said the suit had become academic in view of Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s arraignment before a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Monday and the bail granted her on self recognisance.

“The issue of the applicant’s bail from the EFCC custody has been overtaken by the event of her arraignment at the Lagos High Court and her subsequent release on bail by the court,” Justice Hassan held.

The judge also declined Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s prayer to declare that the remand order obtained by the EFCC from a magistrate court to detain her from November 10 to November 28, 2016 was unlawful, illegal and a violation of her fundamental human rights.

Justice Hassan held that the remand order issued by the magistrate was in line with the provision of Section 264(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2011.

It would be recalled that the EFCC had on Monday arraigned Justice Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Godwin Obla, on a 30-count corruption charge before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court.

They however pleaded not guilty to the charge and have since been granted bail on self recognisance by the court.