The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has dismissed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking permission to challenge a judgment that nullified an order freezing 124 bank accounts linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu.
The appellate court, in a decision delivered on Thursday, held that the anti-graft agency’s application for leave to appeal its earlier judgment at the Supreme Court lacked merit.
The ruling represents a setback for the EFCC in its bid to challenge the decision that vacated the freezing order on the 124 accounts associated with Achimugu.
The commission had approached the appellate court seeking permission to take the matter before the Supreme Court following the judgment that set aside the order restricting access to the accounts.
However, the Court of Appeal rejected the application, declining to grant the EFCC leave to pursue a further appeal.
The development marks another stage in the legal dispute surrounding the freezing of the accounts linked to the businesswoman.
The court’s decision concerns the EFCC’s application for permission to appeal the earlier judgment and should not, on its own, be interpreted as a determination of any separate allegations that may be associated with the case.
