EMMANUEL AHMED (ALSO KNOWN AS APEH AHMED) V. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

OREDOLA JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This judgment relates to an interlocutory appeal filed by Emmanuel Ahmed (Also known as Apeh Ahmed,) He is (hereinafter referred to as the appellant.) The brief A facts of this case are to the following effects:

On 1 August 2005, the appellant was arraigned before the Kaduna State High Court on a nine count charge dated 21 July 2005. He pleaded not guilty to the counts in the charge sheet preferred against him on behalf of the respondent by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (hereinafter referred to as the EFCC or the Commission.) The appellant was admitted to bail and before commencement of hearing, he filed a notice of preliminaryobjection dated 10 November 2005. Appellant raised objection to the jurisdiction of the trial court to try him on counts two to nine as contained in the charge sheet. The ground of objection was that EFCC lacks the locus standi to prosecute him for the offences alleged in the said counts two to nine.…