EFCC under fire for alleged abuse of court process

DDM News

Fresh controversy erupted on Friday, July 18, 2025, as Galaxy Construction and Transportation Services Limited accused Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of abusing judicial procedures to seize its properties.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the allegation followed a recent ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which granted the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture of several assets allegedly linked to fraudulent practices.

According to a statement signed by the company’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Babagana Dalori, the court ruling covered a range of valuable assets, including N335 million in cash, a hospital, multiple residential apartments, and five operational filling stations spread across different Nigerian states.

Dalori, reacting to the development, described the ruling as “illegal and misleading.”
He claimed that a competent court of coordinate jurisdiction had earlier nullified the interim forfeiture order obtained by the EFCC, and that the latest ruling was an attempt by the agency to circumvent the judicial process.

In his words, “This is a clear case of forum shopping, where a party seeks a favorable ruling from a different court despite having a case decided elsewhere. It’s a complete abuse of court process.”

The embattled chairman further accused the EFCC’s legal representative, Fadila Yusuf, of misleading the court by abandoning a previously filed motion to set aside the earlier judgment and proceeding instead to initiate a new ex parte application in another division of the court.

Dalori insisted that the company’s legal team had full documentation showing the previous ruling, and expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved in their favor.
“We urge the general public and all affected stakeholders to stay calm as we follow through with the necessary legal channels. We believe the truth will prevail,” he stated.

In a swift response, the EFCC rejected the accusations, describing them as baseless and defamatory.
The commission’s spokesperson, Mr. Dele Oyewale, affirmed that the agency complied with all legal protocols in obtaining both the interim and final forfeiture orders.

He maintained that the agency’s actions were lawful and backed by sufficient evidence to justify the confiscation of the properties in question.
“The commission will not be intimidated or distracted by false allegations. We will ensure the enforcement of all forfeiture orders granted by the court,” Oyewale said.

This legal tussle has raised fresh concerns over the procedural integrity of asset forfeiture cases in Nigeria and the potential for forum shopping by either side.

The EFCC has, in recent years, intensified efforts to recover proceeds of crime, while several business entities continue to challenge what they describe as overreach by the agency.

As legal proceedings continue, all eyes remain on the court to determine whether the alleged abuse of judicial process occurred and whether the final forfeiture ruling will stand.

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