Court orders EFCC to refund N228m to Taraba APC Gov candidate, two others

The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo on Wednesday ordered
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to refund N228m it
forcefully collected from the trio of APC governorship candidate,
Sani Danladi, Senator Joel Ikenya and ex-Speaker of Taraba State
House of Assembly, Mark Useni.

The order must be complied with within 72 hours, the court
ordered.

The defendants were charged to court by the EFCC on allegations
of conspiracy and misappropriating the sum of N450m presidential
campaign funds in 2015.

Justice Stephen Pam delivered the judgement in a case filed by
the EFCC against Ikenya, Useni and Danladi.

In the judgement which lasted for several hours, Justice Pam
held that the EFCC failed to substantiate its claims against the
defendants.

The court also held that the EFCC could not furnish the court
with substantive evidence against the defendants and urged the
Commission to desist from infringing on the rights of innocent
citizens.

“The prosecution did not provide this court with concrete
evidence to nail the defendants.

“The EFCC is hereby ordered to refund the sum of N228m which the
Commission received from the defendants.”

Senator Ikenya applauded the court for allowing the rule of law
to prevail in the matter, describing the court as the last hope of
common man.

One of the defence counsels, Ibrahim Effiong, said the ruling
was an indication that the rule of law has come to bear.

“The entire charges were abuse of court process. By this ruling,
the EFCC should learn to allow the rule of law to prevail.

Prosecution counsel could not be reached for comment.