Court Dismisses Suit to Shield Sanwo-Olu from EFCC Post-Tenure Arrest

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu after his tenure ends.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik struck out the case on October 31 following a motion by Gbenga Femi Akande, Sanwo-Olu’s counsel, to discontinue the proceedings.

Hadiza Afegbua, counsel for the EFCC, appeared in court on Tuesday, unaware that the case had been dismissed weeks earlier. The enrolled order dated October 31 showed that only Akande was present during the hearing.

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The lawsuit, filed in October by lawyer Darlington Ozurumba on Sanwo-Olu’s behalf, sought to prevent the EFCC from arresting or prosecuting the governor after his term ends on May 29, 2027. The suit argued that any attempt to arrest Sanwo-Olu would violate his constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement under sections 35(1) & (4) and 41(1) of the Nigerian Constitution.

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However, the Lagos State government denied involvement in the case. Attorney General Lawal Pedro stated that Governor Sanwo-Olu did not authorize the lawsuit and pledged to investigate how it was filed without the governor’s knowledge.

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Pedro clarified that neither Sanwo-Olu nor his aides are under EFCC investigation, adding that there is no threat of arrest. The EFCC, in a counter affidavit filed by Ufuoma Ezire, a legal officer in its prosecution department, described the lawsuit as speculative and unfounded, emphasizing that it has never initiated any investigation or arrest plans against the governor.

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