BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

ABUJA— The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has disclosed that it is currently investigating three judges over allegation that they own and operate several foreign bank accounts.

The anti-graft, in a process it filed before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, named Justice Gladys Olotu, who was recently sent on a compulsory retirement by the National Judicial Council, NJC, as one of the alleged corrupt ex-judicial officers under its probe.

The commission insisted that it had already traced about N2 billion to a foreign account it said was linked to the retired judge.

It would be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier this year, okayed the ouster of Justice Olotu from the bench after she was found guilty of “gross misconduct” by the NJC.

Meantime, though the anti-graft agency declined to mention the names of the other accused judges on the premise that doing so could jeopardise its ongoing investigation, it however, hinted that whereas two of them are currently serving in Abuja, he said the other judge is in the Lagos division.

Consequently, the EFCC, in a counter-affidavit dated April 1, 2014, urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to hands-off a suit that is pending before it, which it said was capable of stalling its investigation.

The said suit was filed before the court by retired Justice Olotu.

Specifically, the agency, told the court that its investigation was ignited by a petition written to it by a group under the aegis of Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC).

It said the petitioners adduced evidence indicating that Justice Olotu was maintaining an offshore account with FirstBank (United Kingdom) and allegedly has over N2 billion in cash and investment.

Olotu had gone to court with a view to securing an order that would restrain the EFCC from either inviting or arresting her for questioning over “baseless allegations.”

She filed the suit shortly after she was summoned to appear before the commission in respect of the allegations levelled against her by the petitioners.

More so, EFCC, in its counter-affidavit, denied allegation that it was the NJC and the Attorney General of the Federation that instigated it to go after the retired judge.

It equally denied abusing Justice Olotu’s fundamental human rights as alleged, insisting that it is within its statutory powers to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes in the country despite who is involved.

In the said affidavit which was deposed to by an investigative officer of the EFCC, Habufari Yahaya, the agency, told the court that “in the course of investigation, certain issues arose for further clarifications, which had to do with documents and the applicant (Justice Olotu) therefore requested for time to bring them and she was obliged.”