Fakoyejo OlalekanJustice Chizobi Orji of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set aside her order to imprison the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Prime Business Africa had reported that Justice Orji directed the Inspector-General of Police to arrest Bawa for failing to carry out the order of the court to return items belonging to Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo.
EFCC had seized N40 million and a Range Rover Sport (Supercharged) from Ojuawo in 2016, accusing him of obtaining the cash and vehicle as bribe.
The one-time Director of Operations at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) was reportedly given the items by one Hima Aboubakar of Societe D’Equipment Internationaux Nigeria Limited.
In 2018, Justice Muawiyah Idris said the EFCC had no evidence beyond reasonable doubt to prove their case against Ojuawo, ordering the anti-graft agency to return the property to the Air Vice Marshal.
Justice Idris said, “In conclusion, I hold that the prosecution has failed to prove the two counts charge of corrupt gratification under S17 (1)(a) and (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
“The defendant is discharged and acquitted on counts one and two of the charge.
“Consequently, the complainant (EFCC) is ordered to refund the defendant his N40,000,000 wrongly paid into ONSA recovery account and to return to the defendant his Range Rover Sport (Supercharged) forthwith.”
In a ruling on October 28, 2022, Justice Orji said the EFCC is yet to return the cash and vehicle to Ojuawo as ordered. According to the judge, failure to act on the order is contempt of court by Bawa.
This resulted in the order to lock Bawa up in Kuji Prison, but Bawa appealed the sentence, and on Thursday, Justice Orji set aside the order for the arrest of the EFCC boss.
Justice Orji said Bawa has complied and began the process of returning the N40 million cash and Range Rover to Ojuawo through several internal memoranda, and as such, he isn’t in contempt of court.
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