EFCC urges NBA to sanction lawyer for suing commission at magistrate court

Tribune Online
EFCC urges NBA to sanction lawyer for suing commission at magistrate court

For what it described as unprofessional conduct, breach of the Constitution of the country and abuse of court procedures, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on the Bauchi state chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to as a matter of necessity initiate a punish process of a Bauchi based legal practitioner, Barrister Phil Bege Elisha for dragging the Commission before a magistrate court in the state.

The call by EFCC became necessary following reports that sometimes ago, the village head of Wuntin Dada, a community in the suburbs of Bauchi metropolis, Alhaji Uba Muhammad briefed Barrister Phil Elisha to institute a legal action against the Commission over alleged violation of his fundamental human rights by raiding the community for investigations of alleged corrupt acts.

The lawyer, therefore, instituted the suit before the Chief Magistrate Court 6, Yelwa Bauchi in total contrast to the provisions of the Constitution of the country as amended.

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In his reaction to the development, Counsel to EFCC, Barrister Ahmad Muttaka Yakubu on Thursday told the Magistrate court that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case as EFCC is a Federal Government agency.

He further explained that base on the status only a federal high court can entertain a case involving the Commission or any other federal institution anywhere in the country.

Consequently, the petitioner, therefore, applied for withdrawal of the case which was granted by the court presided over by Magistrate Ahmed Shuaibu.

While commenting further on the development in an interview with Journalists, the EFCC Counsel asked the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to sanction Barrister Phil Elisha for ‘acting against the Constitution’ and wasting the Commission’s times and resources to come all the way to the magistrate court.

When approached for his reaction over the development, Phol Elisha declined comment just as no official of the NBA was ready to make comments on the development as at the time of filing this report.

EFCC urges NBA to sanction lawyer for suing commission at magistrate court
Tribune Online