Justice Aliyu Baba Usman of the Bauchi State High Court has dismissed a suit filed by Alhaji Hamza Koshe and his company, Pentech Engineering Nigeria Ltd, seeking to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating or prosecuting them.
Koshe had approached the court on September 23, 2024, asking for a perpetual injunction against the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). In a 31-paragraph affidavit, he argued that the anti-graft agencies should be barred from probing issues related to a contract financing agreement between the Bauchi State Ministry of Finance and his company.
Delivering judgment on July 30, 2025, Justice Usman ruled that courts lack the authority to prevent law enforcement agencies from carrying out their statutory duties. “Courts of law lack requisite powers to restrain the EFCC and ICPC from performing their legitimate functions of investigation and prosecution of money laundering, corruption, economic and financial crimes or any other related offences,” the judge held.
The ruling empowers the EFCC to proceed with its investigation into Koshe and his firm. The Commission had earlier invited him for questioning, but instead of honoring the summons, he filed the suit.
