A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt on Thursday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay the sum of N600m as exemplary damages to two Rivers State Government officials for declaring them wanted without justification.

The two officials, the state Accountant General, Frederick Dagogo-Abere, and a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Lekia Bukpo, were among those accused by the anti-graft agency of withdrawing N117bn from state government coffers.

The judge, Justice George Omereji, in his ruling, declared that the anti-graft agency violated the fundamental rights of the officials by investigating the Rivers State Government account.

He stated that the action was in disobedience of a subsisting court order restraining the commission from investigating the state government’s account.

Justice Omereji said he was embarrassed by the actions of the EFCC, adding that the commission failed to appeal the judgments against it, but resorted to self-help, by inviting the state officials.

He said that the commission should first vacate the subsisting order made by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court before taking any action on accounts of the state government.

The judge also described the letter of invitation of the EFCC to the state government officials as malicious, maintaining that only the Rivers State House of Assembly had the right to investigate the financial activities of the state government.

The court ordered the anti-graft agency to pay N300m each of Federick Abere and Lekia Biokpo as exemplary damages.

Counsel for the Accountant General of the state, Dike Udenna, described the judgment as a response to some questions asked by Nigerians on the alleged abuse of court processes by the EFCC.

Recall that former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, had during his administration obtained a perpetual injunction from a Federal High Court restraining the EFCC, ICPC and other anti-graft agencies from investigating Rivers State Government account.

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