Alleged N1trn fraud: Court stops Senate, IGP from arresting Lamorde

ABUJA—Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has restrained the Senate and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, from arresting the former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, over his alleged complicity in N1 trillion fraud. Justice Gabriel Kolawole issued the order on the basis of an ex-parte motion Lamorde filed before the court through his lawyer, Mr. Festus Ukpue. The former EFCC boss
had in the application, dated March 7, begged the court to stop the Senate from issuing a warrant for his arrest, pending the hearing and determination of a substantive suit he lodged before the court. Lamorde was earlier summoned by the Senate to account for funds the anti-graft agency, under his leadership, seized from some alleged corrupt public office holders. The funds were said to have been re-looted, with no record kept on how it was remitted or utilised. Meanwhile, without honouring the invitation by the legislative house, Lamorde ran before the court with a suit challenging the investiga-tive process the lawmakers initiated against him. Although his suit is still pending before the court, Lamorde who was said to have gone into hiding, sensing an intensified move to get him arrested, quickly filed an ex-parte motion to abort plans to apprehend him. Justice Kolawole, after listening to the ex-parte motion, ordered: “A limited order of injunction is hereby granted to restrain the defendants, pending when they are heard on the reply to the plaintiff’s motion on notice. “That the plaintiff’s counsel is hereby directed to obtain a certified true copy of the order in this ruling, and cause same to be served on the Inspector-General of Police.”