Court Approves Saraki’s Request to Amend Lawsuits Against EFCC and Others

Court Approves Saraki’s Request to Amend Lawsuits Against EFCC and Others

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s motion to amend two lawsuits he filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other parties. Justice Inyang Ekwo approved the application on Monday after it was presented by Saraki’s lawyer, Tunde Afe-Babalola, SAN, with no opposition from the defense.

The two suits, filed in May 2019, had previously been dismissed for lack of diligent prosecution on January 25. Saraki’s legal team sought to relist the cases, which include the Attorney-General, Inspector-General of Police, and State Security Service among the defendants.

During the latest hearing, Afe-Babalola informed the court of a motion to amend their originating motion, which had been filed on July 29. The defense attorneys for the SSS, EFCC, ICPC, and Code of Conduct Bureau did not object to the amendment.

Justice Ekwo granted the request and scheduled the next hearing for February 6, 2025, warning that any lawyer responsible for delaying the hearing would face penalties.

The lawsuits stem from the EFCC’s 2019 investigation into Saraki’s earnings from 2003 to 2011 during his tenure as governor of Kwara State, which included the agency’s seizure of some of his properties.