A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the suit filed by the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Telcom Satellite Television Service (TSTV) Bright Echefu seeking to stop the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun from investigating him over alleged fraud of N2 billion.
Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit on Wednesday for being frivolous and lacking in merit.
The judge held that it was wrong of the TSTV CEO to seek court protection to shield himself from being probed over a petition against him on alleged stealing and misappropriation of the sum of N2 billion investment fund into TSTV.
Former minister of special duties Kabiru Turaki made the petition against Echefu.
Echefu’s argument was that Kabiru Turaki’s N2 billion investment fund was a civil transaction and that the police did not have the constitutional power to investigate such transactions.
However, after examining Echefu’s claims and the police’s counterclaims, Justice Ekwo stated that the allegations against Echefu were related to the misappropriation of the N2 billion investment fund, not to debt recovery efforts as he had wrongly claimed against the police.
The judge emphasised that Section 4 of the Police Act 2020 clearly outlined the statutory powers to investigate such alleged fraud. He added that granting the TSTV CEO’s request to prohibit the police from doing so would be a judicial victory for the undeserving.
Justice Ekwo held that the TSTV CEO failed to establish his claims of civil matter involving N2 billion loan transaction whereas the petition before Police was on alleged stealing and misappropriating the huge sums invested into the company for its expansion.
