A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has granted an interim order restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting or harassing Rabiu Tijjani, a Nigerian businessman based in Dubai, over an alleged $1.9 million fraud.
The ruling was delivered by Justice H. Buhari following an ex parte application filed by Tijjani against the EFCC and another businessman, Ifeanyi Ezeokoli.
The EFCC had, on July 11, declared Rabiu Tijjani wanted over allegations of conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, and laundering over $1.9 million.
Tijjani, however, denied the allegations, calling the EFCC’s move damaging to his reputation and a threat to his ongoing refinery project in Abuja.
In an affidavit filed by his counsel, Muhammad Zakariyya Dikko, Tijjani explained that he entered into a business transaction with Ezeokoli in January 2022, involving the exchange of $76 million in Dubai for its naira equivalent in Nigeria.
Following a reconciliation of the deal, Tijjani said he refunded N26 million to Ezeokoli for an overpayment. However, he later discovered that he had in fact overpaid by more than $2 million due to accounting errors.
Tijjani said he reported the matter to the Department of State Services (DSS) after failed efforts to resolve it amicably with Ezeokoli.
The parties eventually agreed to an independent audit, which reportedly uncovered fake addresses associated with companies involved in the transaction. The audit took six months due to the volume of documents examined.
According to the affidavit, Ezeokoli later became uncooperative and petitioned the EFCC’s Kaduna zonal office.
Tijjani claimed the petition was an attempt to derail the DSS investigation and conceal discrepancies discovered in the audit.
His lawyer also told the court that although documents were submitted to the EFCC through a representative, Tijjani was never formally invited or contacted before being declared wanted publicly.
He argued that the EFCC’s action violated Tijjani’s fundamental rights and caused significant reputational harm, resulting in concerns from business associates and a loss of investor confidence in his refinery project.
After reviewing the application, Justice Buhari issued an interim order restraining the EFCC from inviting, arresting, detaining, harassing, or prosecuting Tijjani pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The matter was adjourned to September 18 for further proceedings.