A Kano High Court presided by Justice Farouk Lawan Adamu has restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau(CCB) from investigating the financial activities of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti- Corruption Commission(PCACC).
The restraining order followed an ex parte motion filed by Kano State’s Attorney General, the Kano State Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Commission’s Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, against the three federal anti-corruption agencies, which had recently launched investigations into the Commission’s activities.
The court, after reading the ex- parte motion, including an affidavit duly sworn -to by Khalifa Auwal Hashim and having heard from the Attorney General of Kano State, Isa Dederi, directed the parties in the case to maintain status quo ante –bellum.
The court further gave an interim order, directing the federal anti- corruption agencies from meddling into the affairs or taking any further steps in relation with the functions, duties, affairs of the Kano State Anti- Corruption Commission, pending the hearing and determination of the originating summon.
It also issued an interim injunction barring these agencies, either by themselves, staff or privies from inviting, threatening, coaxing, interfering in the affairs of any staff or person under the service of the plaintiffs, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The court equally gave leave for an accelerated hearing of the case by abridging the timeline within which the defendants may file and serve their respective court processes while adjourning the case to 25th of September, 2023.
It could be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) had in a letter, dated August 8th, 2023 invited the Director of Finance of the Commission to report at its Abuja headquarters on the 28th August for questioning while asking him to come along with details of their financial transactions from 2016 to 2021.
Similarly, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) said it was investigating some staff of the state anti- graft commission for violation of the provisions of the Code of Conduct for public officers and had requested for all contractual undertakings of the Commission from 2016 to date, including the records of all recoveries and forfeitures as well as the management of same from 2016 to date.
The CCB also asked for records of all the financial allocations made to the Commission by the state government, including donor agency funds from 2016 to date, as well as the status of the Commission’s buildings in the 44 local government areas of the state.