The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has submitted a notice of withdrawal in an attempt to end its appeal against a Kogi high court judgement prohibiting the organisation from detaining the state’s former governor, Yahaya Bello.

The EFCC stated in the notice dated April 22 that the withdrawal is based on the fact that the appeal has been superseded by events.

The appeal was lodged after the legally permitted period, the commission also acknowledged.

“The appellant herein intends to and do hereby wholly withdraw her appeal against the respondent in the above-mentioned appeal,” the notice reads.

“This notice of withdrawal is predicated on the fact that on the 17th of April 2024, the application filed by the appellant herein was overtaken by the decision of the same high court of Kogi state.

“The orders made ex parte by Jamil on the 9th of February 2024 in said suit which is the subject of this appeal, was made to last pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion on notice which was finally determined by Jamil on the 17th April 2024.

“Furthermore, the notice of appeal was filed out of time and we, therefore, pray that the appeal be struck out for being filed out of time and incompetent.”

Recall that Yahaya Bello, on February 8, instituted a fundamental rights enforcement suit, asking the court to declare that “the incessant harassment, threats of arrest and detention, negative press releases, malicious prosecution” of the EFCC, “without any formal invitation, is politically motivated and interference with his right to liberty, freedom of movement, and fair hearing”.

The former governor also sought an order “restraining the respondent by themselves, their agents, servants or privies from continuing to harass, threaten to arrest or detain him”.

On February 9, the Kogi high court granted an interim injunction restraining the EFCC from “continuing to harass, threaten to arrest, detain, prosecute Bello, his former appointees, and his staff or family members, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive originating motion for the enforcement of his fundamental rights”.

On March 12, the EFCC filed an appeal against the interim injunction because the court could not stop the commission from carrying out its statutory responsibility.

The Kogi high court delivered judgment on the substantive motion on notice on April 17 wherein Isa Jamil Abdullahi, the presiding judge, granted an order restraining the EFCC “from continuing to harass, threaten to arrest or detain Bello”.

However, Abdullahi directed the commission to file a charge against Bello before an appropriate court if it had reasons to do so.

The judgment coincided with the recent “siege” laid on the Abuja residence of  Bello by EFCC operatives seeking to arrest him.

The commission had also obtained a warrant of arrest against the former governor from the federal high court in Abuja.

The EFCC is seeking to arraign Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

At the scheduled arraignment on April 18, Bello was absent.

At the court session, Abdulwahab Mohammed, counsel to Bello, told  Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, that the court lacked jurisdiction to grant the warrant of arrest in the first instance.

He referenced the February 9 interim injunction issued by the Kogi high court, adding that the appeal filed by the EFCC is still pending.

The naira, on Wednesday, depreciated to N1,300 per dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market.

The N1,260 transacted on April 22 represents a 3.17 percent decrease in the current FX rate.

Bureau de change (BDC) operators, who deal in currency, stated a buying rate of N1,260 and a selling price of N1,300, with an N40 profit margin.

The naira dropped 0.64 percent to N1,308.52 against the dollar at the official window, from N1,300.15 on April 23.

The main FX trading platform in Nigeria, FMDQ Exchange, reports that the naira touched a high of N1,367 and a low of N1,098.

With the current record, the official window rate still surpasses that of the parallel market by N8.52.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on April 23, reduced the FX rate for dollar allocations to BDC operators.

The financial regulator, in a circular signed by Hassan Mahmud, director of trade and exchange department, said it sold $10,000 at the rate of N1,021/$ to each BDC.

On April 8, CBN also sold FX to the BDCs at the rate of N1,101/$, compared to the N1,251 the apex bank offered to the parallel market operators on March 25 and the N1,301 announced on February 27.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) nominee for president in the general election of 2023, has given an explanation for why, while serving as governor of Anambra state, he did not build a single new school.

Earlier report had it that, Reno Omokri, a social media personality, questioned Obi’s leadership and challenged the former governor of Anambra state and his supporters to name one school that Obi established during his eight years in office.

Reno offered a ten thousand dollar reward to anyone who could locate a school constructed by Obi..

In his reaction, Obi stated during a press conference on Wednesday, April 24, in Abuja that individuals who made such claims had not taken advantage of his manifesto.

He said that Anambra state was ranked 26th in the nation when he arrived, with shuttered schools and a broken educational system, saying that by the time he departed, Anambra had risen to the top.

He said: “I improved the quality, physical and mental well-being of the people, schools, had the basic things they needed and the people shone like stars and that was my manifesto.

“Building new schools when the old ones are moribund is just like building coastal lines when internal roads are impassable.”