By Innocent Anaba

Lagos—Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High sitting in Lagos, yesterday, withdrew from the fundamental rights suit by Chairman of Bi-Courtney Limited, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN, against the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

*Babalakin

Justice Tsoho withdrew from the suit following a petition by Babalakin to the Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta, praying him to re-assign the case to a different judge.

Babalakin is seeking an order barring them from arraigning him on criminal charges filed at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.

He had in the petition, said there was no guarantee he would get justice from Justice Tsoho.

According to him, the judge vacated an interim injunction he made on April 29 barring the EFCC from going on with the proposed arraignment pending the determination of the fundamental rights enforcement suit.

Justice Tsoho in the ruling, held that the ex-parte order granted Babalakin was intended as a brief intervention to prevent injury and not meant to last a long time, noting that the order had outlived its lifespan and is no longer valid.

Before the ruling was delivered, EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, had prayed the court to discharge the restraining order.

In the petition, Babalakin said that the judge discharged the order “without a formal application from the respondents.” They prayed that the case be re-assigned to another judge.

Babalakin had in April sought to stop the AGF and the EFCC from arraigning him again on an alleged N4.7billion fraud.

A Lagos State High Court had in February this year discharged him from the allegation.