Court Strikes Out Mompha’s Suit To Vacate EFCC’s Arrest Warrant

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday struck out a suit filed by internet celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, seeking to vacate an order made for his arrest.

Justice Ayokunle Faji, who presided over the court, struck out Mompha’s suit for lack of diligent prosecution.

Mompha, who currently resides in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, in the suit filed by his lawyers, had asked the court for an order mandating the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to withdraw the request for his arrest made to the ICPO-INTERPOL in March 2023, given that the anti-graft agency failed and/or refused to furnish the ICPO-INTERPOL with specific details of the allegations against him.

His request was made pursuant to Order 26 Rule 1 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules and the court’s Inherent jurisdiction.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, Mompha was absent in court neither was he represented by any lawyer.

But lawyer to the EFCC, Sulaiman Sulaiman, asked the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.

In urging the court to strike out the suit, Sulaiman informed Justice Faji that neither the applicant nor his legal representative has been in court to prosecute the suit since it was filed in 2023.

After hearing Sulaiman’s submission, the court went through its records and subsequently acceded to the EFCC lawyer’s request to strike out the suit.