N4.8bn: EFCC Counters Suit Attempting To Stop Ibeto Probe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Chairman, Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited, Daniel Chukwudozie, have asked a Rivers State High Court to dismiss a suit filed by the Chairman of the Ibeto Group, Chief Cletus Ibeto, seeking to stop the anti-graft agency from investigating him over an alleged N4.8bn fraud.

In the suit marked PHC/268/FHR/2022, Ibeto is praying the court to stop the EFCC from investigating allegations of fraud bordering on obtaining by false pretences the sum of N4.8bn, and forgery and criminal breach of trust levelled against him by Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited.

Ibeto had filed an originating motion on notice, praying the court to declare that the EFCC lacked the powers to interfere in land disputes.

He also prayed the court to declare his alleged harassment by the commission as unlawful and restrain it from arresting him and to pay him N500m in damages for depriving him of his fundamental human rights as a Nigerian citizen.

When the case came up for hearing, counsel for the EFCC, Simon Ibekwute, drew the court’s attention to his preliminary objection filed on February 21, 2022, saying that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in Rivers State, because the alleged infringement of the applicant’s fundamental human rights occurred in Abuja.

The EFCC’s counsel also filed a motion for extension of time as his filed processes were not within the time limit as provided by law.

Counsel for the Dozzy Oil boss, Okey Obikeze, also informed the court that he had filed a preliminary objection to counter Ibeto’s motion.

Responding, Henry Bello, who stood for Ibeto’s lead counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), told the court he had yet to file his reply to the preliminary objection by the EFCC.

After hearing the EFCC’s motion for extension of time, which was not opposed by the counsel for Ibeto and Chukwudozie, Justice Boma Diepiri adjourned hearing on the motions and counter-motions till April 12, 2022, and directed them to file all their processes before the date in order to enable the court to hear the matter and possibly fix a date for judgment.