Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, on Wednesday, struck out two separate suits filed by a former senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others.
In a short ruling, the judge struck out the suits for lack of diligent prosecution.
Upon resumed hearing in the matters, neither Saraki’s nor the defendants’ lawyers were in court for the proceeding.
Ekwo, therefore, held that the absence of the lawyers showed the cases were not being diligently prosecuted.
He consequently struck them out for lack of diligent prosecution.
Saraki, the applicant, had filed the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/507/2019 and FHC/ABJ/CS/508/2019 at the FHC.
In the suits, the attorney-general of the federation, inspector general of police and State Security Service (SSS) are 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
Others are EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as 4th to 6th respondents respectively.
Recall that Saraki had filed the suits following EFCC’s decision in 2019 to probe his earnings between 2003 and 2011 when he served as governor of Kwara State.
The anti-graft commission was reported to have seized some of his houses in the Ikoyi area of Lagos then.
On May 10, 2019, Saraki filed the two separate suits before the retired Justice Taiwo Taiwo to challenge the action of the EFCC.
Taiwo, who was the presiding judge then, ruled on an ex-parte application filed along with the substantive suits.
*With NAN report
