Court dismisses suit by Ex-President Jonathan’s cousin to stop EFCC investigation

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has dismissed a fundamental right enforcement suit instituted against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Azibaola Robert, a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan. Justice Mojisola Olatoregun who dismissed the suit held that it was an abuse of court process as the applicant has instituted multiple suits on the same subject matter before other courts.

In an affidavit sworn on his behalf by a lecturer of the Niger Delta State University, Bayelsa State, Faith Robert, it was claimed that Azibaola, who hails from Bayelsa State, is a cousin of and close confidant to the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan and this is the singular reason for his current travails in the hands of EFCC who wants him to implicate the former President at all cost. The despondent also claimed that “owing to his vast experience, sometimes in 2012, Azibaola was contacted by late General Patrick Azazi to temporarily curb the problems of petroleum, pipeline vandalisation and oil bunkering. Consequently, in September 2014 the sum of $40million was paid into the account of Oneplus Holdings Nigeria limited for the assignment with an agreement that he will be paid 10% of the said sum.”

However, owing to the change of Government in May 2015, a committee set up to review some projects of the last administration instructed his company to refund the $40million immediately, and thereafter he was detained through a warrant for remand obtained at a magistrate court for alleged financial misappropriation on a purely civil transaction.