The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told a High Court sitting in Abuja that a police lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed who filed a criminal charge against former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah did not have the permission of the commission to prosecute the Senator in any criminal case.
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Counsel to the EFCC , Helen Okonofua told Justice James Omotoso that the Police lawyer, Ibrahim Muhammed who claimed to have come from the Legal Department of the Force Headquarters was initially with the EFCC but was de-seconded from EFCC back to the Police on November 4, 2022, and had since had nothing to do with the EFCC.
Okonofua told the Court that the criminal charge filed on June 22, 2023, by the Police lawyer in the name of EFCC has no authority or approval of the agency.
She said, the Police lawyer had been investigated by EFCC as ordered by the Judge and that the report of the findings would be filed at the Registry of the Court and be made available to the court thereafter.
In his ruling, Justice Omotoso fixed October 4, 2023, for the EFCC to formally make the report of the findings available to the court.
On Tuesday, July 11, Justice Omotoso handed the police lawyer over to the EFCC for filing frivolous criminal charges against the former Minister in the name of EFCC.
Noticing some flaws in the charge sheet,Justice Omotoso queried the police lawyer on whether he had the mandate of the EFCC to file the charges against Oduah which he answered negatively.
The Judge then admitted errors in using the name of EFCC to file the charges .
