Fisayo Ogunsakin with agency reports
A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has issued an interim injunction restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting or harassing Nigerian businessman, Alhaji Rabiu Tijjani, over an alleged $1.9 million fraud.
Justice Hauwa’u Buhari, who presided over the matter, granted the order on Tuesday while ruling on an ex parte application filed by Tijjani through his legal counsel, Muhammad Zakariyya Dikko. The application also named another businessman, Ifeanyi Ezeokoli, as the second respondent in the case.
Tijjani, who is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was declared wanted by the EFCC on July 11 over allegations of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, and laundering over $1.9 million. The businessman has, however, denied the allegations, describing the commission’s actions as damaging to his reputation and a threat to his refinery project currently underway in Abuja.
According to the affidavit submitted to the court, the dispute traces back to a January 2022 business transaction between Tijjani and Ezeokoli, involving the exchange of $76 million in Dubai for its naira equivalent in Nigeria. Tijjani claimed that following financial reconciliation, he refunded N26 million to Ezeokoli, which was identified as an overpayment.
However, subsequent internal accounting checks reportedly revealed that he had, in fact, overpaid Ezeokoli by over $2 million due to clerical errors. Efforts to resolve the matter amicably allegedly failed, prompting Tijjani to report the issue to the Department of State Services (DSS).
The two parties then agreed to an independent forensic audit, which, according to court documents, revealed discrepancies and false addresses linked to companies involved in the deal. The audit process reportedly spanned six months due to the volume of financial records under review.
Tijjani alleged that Ezeokoli later withdrew from the resolution process and filed a petition with the EFCC’s Kaduna zonal office, allegedly to distract from the DSS probe and cover up irregularities in the transaction. He also stated that despite having submitted relevant documents to the EFCC through a representative, he was never directly contacted or invited by the commission before the public declaration naming him as wanted.
His legal team argued that the EFCC’s action constituted a breach of his fundamental rights and resulted in significant reputational harm, including the loss of investor confidence in his Abuja-based refinery project.
In response, Justice Buhari ruled in favor of the applicant and barred the EFCC from arresting, detaining, harassing, or initiating any prosecution against Tijjani pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. The matter was adjourned until September 18 for further proceedings.
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