The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a lawsuit filed by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The governor filed the suit to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting, detaining, or prosecuting him after completing his tenure in office.
The dismissal was made by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik after Sanwo-Olu’s legal representative, Gbenga Femi Akande, moved to withdraw the case. Although the matter was initially set for hearing on November 26, it was not listed on the court’s schedule for the day. Later reports confirmed that the case had already been struck out on October 31, 2024, following its withdrawal.
Governor Sanwo-Olu’s legal team, led by Darlington Ozurumba, filed the suit on June 6, 2024. The case was marked as FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024 and included seven key legal questions and 11 specific reliefs. These included:
A court order restraining the EFCC from harassing, intimidating, or detaining him.
Preventing any form of investigation or prosecution in connection with his tenure as governor.
Protecting his rights to freedom of movement and personal liberty after office.
The governor argued that the EFCC posed a threat to his rights and might take actions against him based on allegations linked to his time in office.
The EFCC, through its counsel, Hadiza Afegbua, denied the allegations and described the suit as baseless and speculative. In its counter-affidavit, the agency clarified that it had neither threatened, invited, nor taken steps to violate Sanwo-Olu’s rights or freedoms.
The anti-graft agency argued that the governor’s case lacked merit and that there was no credible evidence of any planned action against him. The EFCC urged the court not to grant the reliefs sought by the governor.
The case had been scheduled for further mention on October 29, 2024, but was adjourned to November 26 after the EFCC’s legal team noted they had not received the governor’s updated filings. However, the lawsuit was ultimately struck out on October 31 when the governor’s team decided to withdraw the matter.
Despite being listed among 10 cases initially scheduled for November 26, the governor’s suit was missing from the court’s cause list, confirming its earlier dismissal.
The governor’s lawsuit has now been concluded, with no further legal action planned.
The EFCC maintains it has not violated or threatened Sanwo-Olu’s rights in any way.
The case highlights concerns surrounding the accountability of public officeholders after their tenure.
This dismissal effectively ends the legal dispute between Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the EFCC, ensuring no immediate threat of legal action from the agency against the governor as he concludes his tenure.
