The High Court of Justice, Bauchi State, has issued a contempt notice (Form 48) against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Head of Economic Governance (EG1), Mr. Dare Folarin, over alleged disobedience of a court order.
A copy of the notice, obtained by Insight Northeast on Tuesday, warned that the officials could face imprisonment if they fail to comply with the court’s directive.
Barrister Ahmed Sani, counsel to the applicants, said the court had earlier issued an order restraining the EFCC from taking action against his clients—Aliyu Adamu and three others—pending the determination of the suit.
He, however, alleged that Folarin defied the order by harassing, intimidating, and arresting Adamu.
“In a blatant act of defiance, the EFCC team, led by Mr. Dare Folarin, stormed our client’s office, seized documents, and arrested him, in clear violation of the court order,” Sani said.
He further alleged that attempts to serve Form 48 on the EFCC chairman were met with resistance, as Folarin reportedly refused service and ordered security personnel to chase the bailiff out of the commission’s premises.
“The bailiff has since sworn an affidavit confirming service,” he added.
Sani said that if the EFCC failed to comply with the order, his clients would proceed with serving Form 49 to initiate full contempt proceedings against the officials.
He urged the anti-graft agency to respect the court’s ruling to avoid further legal consequences.
