The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled that Ibrahim Magu’s prolonged stay as acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was unlawful.
The appellate court, in a judgement delivered on Monday, overturned an earlier judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had upheld Magu’s continued retention as acting chairman of the anti-graft agency.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal delivered the judgement in an appeal filed by Johnmary Jideobi, a lawyer who had challenged Magu’s continued stay in office after the Senate twice rejected his nomination as substantive EFCC chairman.
The appeal arose from a judgement delivered by Ijeoma Ojukwu, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on December 4, 2019.
The latest ruling effectively sets aside the lower court’s decision which had upheld the legality of Magu’s continued tenure as acting chairman.
More details on the court’s reasoning and the implications of the judgement are expected to emerge as the full decision becomes available.