Court Set Aside Conviction Of EFCC Chairman, Bawa

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja on Thursday put aside the contempt proceedings and all the directives of conviction for contempt against Abdulrasheed Bawa, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice Chizoba Oji set aside the proceedings today after hearing an application brought by Bawa.

The application was brought pursuant to Section 6(6) (a) and Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Section 91 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, Cap S6 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 and other relevant enactments.

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According to the court, at the time of the order, Bawa was not in contempt of court as he had complied with the order that the respondent’s Range Rover be released and by several internal memoranda, the applicant had initiated the EFCC’s internal mechanism to make the payment of the sum of N40,000,000 to the respondent.

Recall that Bawa was earlier this week convicted to Kuje correctional facilities for contempt of court, pending the setting aside of the order.

Justice Oji ruled that the EFCC Chairman failed to obey an order of November 21, 2018.

The court had instructed the return of seized assets comprising the sum of N40 million and a Range Rover.