Abuja Court Vacates Order Freezing Abia State Govt Accounts

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday afternoon vacated its exparte order which frooze all accounts of the Abia State Government.

Justice Bello Kawu made the order vacating the initial order after listening to arguments by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abia State, Uche Ihediwa, SAN who led a team of lawyers for the Abia State Government.

The Abia legal team had filed two applications before the Court. First was an application urging the Court to vacate the order because it was made pursuant to a defective affidavit.

The affidavit in support of the ex parte application was sworn to at the Federal High Court Registry and used to file a matter at the FCT High Court.

The office of the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had, in a statement, described the  freezing of Abia accounts as particularly “shady and funny.”

“In law, that is a fundamental defect and the Court agreed that such defect was of such a nature that it affected the entire proceedings. They didn’t also obtain the leave of the Court to use the affidavit. Of course, the life span of an ex parte order in law is 7 days.”

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The Court also agreed with the Attorney General that it was in the interest of Justice, Public Order and Peace that the order be vacated and adjourned to 28th April, 2023 to hear the arguments of the Attorney General of Abia State on his second application challenging the jurisdiction of the Court to entertain the matter in the first place.