The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Chairman of Dozzy Oil and Gas LTD, Sir Daniel Chukwudozie, have asked a Rivers State High Court to dismiss a suit filed by the Chairman of Ibeto Group, Chief Cletus Ibeto seeking to stop the EFCC from investigating him over an alleged ₦4.8 billion fraud.
In a suit marked PHC/268/FHR/2022, Ibeto is praying the court to stop the EFCC from investigating allegations of fraud bordering on obtaining by false pretence the sum of N4.8 billion, forgery and criminal breach of trust leveled against him by Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited.
Ibeto had filed an originating motion on notice, praying the court to declare that EFCC lacked powers to interfere in land disputes.
He also prayed the court to declare his alleged harassment by the commission unlawful and to restrain it from arresting him and to also order the commission to pay him N500 million damages for depriving him of his fundamental human rights as a Nigerian citizen.
When the case came up for hearing, counsel to the EFCC, Simon Ibekwute, drew the court’s attention to his preliminary objection filed on February 21 2022, saying that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in Rivers State because the alleged infringement of the applicant’s fundamental human rights occurred in Abuja.
The EFCC’s counsel also filed a motion for extension of time as his process was not within the time limit as provided by law.
Dozzy Oil’s boss counsel, Okey Obikeze, informed the court that he filed a preliminary objection to counter Ibeto’s motion.
Responding, Henry Bello, who stood for Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN the lead counsel to Ibeto, told the court that he was yet to file his reply to the preliminary objection by the EFCC.
After hearing EFCC’s motion for extension of time, which was not opposed by counsel to Ibeto and Chukwudozie, and following the submissions by all the counsel on the matter, the trial Judge, Justice Boma Diepiri, adjourned hearing on the motions and counter motions by all parties to April 12 2022 and directed them to file all their processes before the adjourned date in order to enable the court hear the matter and possibly fix a date for judgement.
Ibeto was invited by the EFCC to produce documents to support his claim that he is the owner of the parcel of land measuring 20.293 hectares which he sold to the Chairman of Dozzy Oil and Gas LTD, Sir Daniel Chukwudozie. However, after allegedly failing to provide the documents, he approached the High Court in Port Harcourt to determine the legality of his invitation by the EFCC.
According to court documents obtained, Chukwudozie alleged that he was approached by Ibeto to purchase a parcel of land situated at Reclamation Layout Phase 2 Port Harcourt, but only to discover that the said property did not belong to the claimant (Ibeto) and his companies.