JUSTICE OKON ABANG OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT SITTING IN ABUJA HAS DISMISSED A SUIT SEEKING AN ORDER COMPELLING THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION EFCC TO INVESTIGATE FORMER ZAMFARA STATE GOVERNOR, ABDULAZIZ YARI, OVER ALLEGED MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS AMOUNTING TO N900BILLION.
A GROUP, PATRIOTS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PEACE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (PAPS), THROUGH ITS CHAIRMAN, SANI SHINKAFI HAD APPROACHED THE COURT IN AN EXPARTE APPLICATION URGING THE COURT TO ORDER THE EFCC TO ACT ON THE FIFTEEN PETITIONS PRESENTED TO THE ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY.
IN HIS JUDGMENT, JUSTICE OKON ABANG THEREFORE RULED DISMISSING THE APPLICATION FOR LACKING IN MERIT AS IT WAS FILED OUT OF TIME.
THE JUDGE SAID IN LINE WITH ORDER 34 RULE FOUR OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT RULES, APPLICATIONS SUCH AS THE ONE BY THE APPLICANT SHOULD BE DONE WITHIN THREE MONTHS OF RECEIVING THE REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS ON WHICH HE PREDICATED HIS CASE.
JUSTICE ABANG HOWEVER MAINTAINED THAT IN LINE WITH THE RULES, THE COURT LACKS JURISDICTION TO EXTEND THE TIME FOR HEARING SUCH A MATTER AS IT IS STATUTE BARRED.
