By Ola Ajayi
IBADAN—The hearing of a case filed by the former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over the sealing off his residences in Ibadan and Afao-Ekiti, was stalled due to the absence of the anti-graft agency in court.

Fayose had filed the suit claiming that the commission had infringed on his fundamental human rights by sealing off his two houses.

But, EFCC through its media officer, Mr. Femi Babafemi, denied knowledge of the service of court processes, saying their lawyers were not served.

When the Federal High Court in Ibadan sat for the hearing of the case yesterday, the counsel of the EFCC was not represented in court and this led to the adjournment of the case to November 10, 2010 by Justice J.B. Shekarau.

Fayose was represented by Messrs Owoseni Ajani and Abiodun Fasakin, while the anti-graft agency was not represented.

Wondering why the anti- graft agency was not represented, the counsel to the former  governor told the court that he had served the defendant through newspaper publications as earlier ordered by the court.

In addition to the newspaper publications, he added that he took the pains of serving the notice on them in the Abuja office by hand.

Addressing newsmen after the court sitting, Mr. Ajani alleged that the anti-corruption agency  could not claim ignorance because he did what the law expected him to do.

He said, “The simple conclusion is that they(EFCC) have no defence for the abuse of the fundamental right of our client which was done brazenly with impunity to the knowledge of the whole world”.

According to him, he went extra mile to serve them personally both in their Lagos and Abuja offices.

If they could go to that extent to embarrass a person of a status of a former governor and his entire family, the counsel said they should be able to convince the world of the legal authority they had to do such a barbaric thing.

“We are not in a kangaroo world. No institution or individual is above the law. We are in a democracy and we are guided by the law”, he stated.