EFCC Vacates APC Chieftain’s Abuja Property After Three Weeks  

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has vacated the Abuja property of Chief Ikechi Emenike, a former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, after occupying the building for over three weeks. 

The development was confirmed to THE WHISTLER on Friday, by Barr Adeyemi Pitan, Counsel to Chief Eminike.  

Recall THE WHISTLER exclusively reported that Emenike’s rented Abuja residence, a 5-bedroom duplex with boys quarters located at number 6 Aso Drive, Abuja, was declared a forfeited property and marked for sale by the EFCC. 

Emenike is said to have offered to buy the property which was valued at over N380 million, but the EFCC refused and sent operatives to block all entries to the property.

An  F CT High Court court presided by Justice Abubakar Musa had ordered EFCC to leave the property and not to prevent Emenike and his household from using it as their residence.

According to the court documents exclusively obtained by THE WHISTLER, EFCC had disobeyed the order and arrested both Chief Emenike and his wife.  

The court on 23rd January 2024, ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to arrest both the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede and the Head, Proceeds of Crime Unit of the EFCC, Aliyu Yusuf, for contempt of court. 

However,  the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the court had vacated the order for the arrest of Olukoyede. 

Counsel to EFCC , Rotimi Oyedepo, had told the court that the EFCC Chairman could not have wilfully disobeyed the order.

He prayed the court to vacate the contempt proceedings against Olukoyede while assuring that all the issues  between the parties in the suit would be resolved.  

Counsel to Emenike confirmed to THE WHISTLER that operatives of the anti-graft agency had vacated his client’s residence.

He said: “Yes they vacated the property. They vacated it after the appearance in court on Tuesday. They are no longer there, they have allowed my client right of entry and exit. He is currently there with his family.

“The first time they occupied the house was November 2, 2023 and they were there for 3 weeks.

“They left there before the court made an order. They came back after the court made the order for injunction on December 6 2023.”  

He said the order given on the contempt of proceedings regarding the arrest of the chairman, was only put in abeyance (on hold). 

According to him, “That order wasn’t vacated as such speaking, they only put it in abeyance,” adding that if Aliyu comes to court in the next adjourned sitting, it may totally be vacated.