A Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed by Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, seeking to set aside the decision of the Federal High Court which gave the EFCC power to attach all the properties belonging to ex-militant.
Justice I. N. Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, had on February 19, 2016 made an order attaching Tompolo’s properties for failure to appear to answer the charges against him.
The EFCC had on December 15, 2015 instituted a criminal charge against Tompolo and nine others over allegations of fraud at Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
However, in a unanimous judgment on Thursday, the Court of Appeal held that Tompolo cannot be heard complaining that his properties are attached by the Court below, when he has not come to answer to the summons against him. The court held that the option available to Tompolo is to appear before the Federal High Court to apply for the order to be discharged, instead of filing the Appeal.
The Court said Tompolo’s private right of property has not been breached by the said order.