A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating or inviting Brig.-Gen. Charles Nengite over alleged money laundering offenses.
The court ruled that the EFCC lacked the constitutional power to re-examine or re-investigate Nengite, who had already been tried and punished by the General Court Martial in accordance with the Armed Forces Act.
The court also quashed the EFCC’s invitation letters to Nengite, declaring them invalid, null, and void. The court awarded N500,000 in damages against the EFCC for its ultra vires acts.
Nengite, a former seconded officer to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), had sued the EFCC, arguing that the agency had no jurisdiction to investigate him for offenses that had already been adjudicated by the General Court Martial.
The court agreed with Nengite’s argument, stating that the EFCC’s actions were ultra vires and in violation of the Armed Forces Act, the EFCC Act, and the 1999 Constitution.
