By TAIYE AGBAJE

A Federal High Court has been asked to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the Rivers spendings during the tenure of ex-Governor Nyesom Wike.

The suit, filed by Sir Precious Elekima and a group, Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation (PLIF), also urged the court to direct the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police to step into the matter.

In the suit marked: FHC/PH/CS/199/2023 filed on May 30 in the Port-Harcourt division of the court, the applicants averred that Wike allegedly diverted huge funds belonging to the state.

Elekima and the PLIF said their resort to the court was as a result of the alleged failure of the I-G, the EFCC and the ICPC to act on their petition dated May 23, 2023, which had since been submitted to them.

Elekima and the PLIF want the court to among others, declare the 1^st to 3^rd respondents (the IGP, the EFCC and the ICPC) have the statutory duties and powers to investigate their petition against Wike and some named bankers in Rivers “and to prosecute any of them found to have contravened any law within their respective statutory mandates.”

They equally want the court to issue “an order of mandamus directing the 1^st to 3^rd respondents to investigate the criminal allegations made to them against the 4^th to 16^th respondents (Wike and the banks) in the said petition and prosecute them or any of them found culpable of the said criminal allegations.”

Elekima and the PLIF claimed that they possess information and documents showing that huge funds were diverted from the Rivers’ coffers during Wike’s tenure.

They stated that in the course of their official activities, they became aware and have reason to reasonably suspect and believe that the 4^th respondent in his capacity as governor, fraudulently withdraw N117 billion belonging to the Rivers Government.

This, they said, is in excess of the threshold permitted by extant laws and financial regulations with intent to misappropriate and divert same and did in fact divert same for his personal benefit.”

Elekima and the PLIF added that they “reasonably suspect that the 4^th respondent, in conspiracy with other officials of the Government of Rivers State and 5^th to 16^th respondents fraudulently withdrew, laundered and embezzled huge funds from the Rivers State internally generated revenue collected and domiciled in several accounts with the 5^th to 16^th respondents.”

They alleged that they “reasonably suspect that the 4^th respondent also diverted and fraudulently misappropriated huge public funds belonging to the Government and people of Rivers State to his private use.

Filed along with the suit for judicial review, is a motion ex-parte in which they are seeking leave to apply for an order of mandamus and for service of originating summons on the 1^st to 3^rd respondents in Abuja.

Rivers banks listed in the suit are: Access Bank, Ecobank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Fidelity, Guaranty Trust, Unity Bank, Union Bank, Wema, Zenith, First Bank and Heritage Bank. (NAN)

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