By Innocent Anaba

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Chairman of Dozzy Oil and Gas Ltd, Sir Daniel Chukwudozie, have asked a Rivers State High Court to dismiss a suit by Chairman of Ibeto Group, Chief Cletus Ibeto, seeking to stop the EFCC from investigating him over an alleged N4.8 billion fraud.

In the suit, Ibeto is praying the court to stop the EFCC from investigating allegations of fraud bordering on obtaining by false pretence the sum of N4.8 billion, forgery and criminal breach of trust levelled against him by Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited.

Ibeto had in the suit prayed the court to declare that EFCC lacks powers to interfere on land disputes.

He also prayed the court to declare his harassment by the commission unlawful and to restrain it from arresting him and order the commission to pay him N500 million damages for depriving him of his fundamental human rights as a Nigerian citizen.

When the case came up for hearing, counsel to the EFCC, Simon Ibekwute, drew the court’s attention to his preliminary objection filed on February 21, 2022, saying the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the suit in Rivers State because the alleged infringement of the applicant’s fundamental human rights occurred in Abuja.

EFCC’s counsel also filed a motion for extension of time as his processes filed was not within the time limit as provided by law.

Dozzy oil’s boss counsel, Okey Obikeze, also informed the court that he filed a preliminary objection to counter Ibeto’s motion.

Responding, Henry Bello, who stood for Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, the lead counsel to Ibeto, told the court that he was yet to file his reply to the preliminary objection by the EFCC.

After hearing EFCC’s motion for extension of time, which was not opposed by counsel to Ibeto and Chukwudozie, and following the submissions by all the counsel on the matter, Justice Boma Diepiri adjourned hearing on the motions and counter motions by all parties to April 12, 2022, and directed them to file all their processes before the adjourned date in order to enable the court hear the matter and possibly fix a date for judgment.