In a significant judicial decision, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, presided over by Justice Bello Kawo at the Apo district, has ordered the suspension of federal financial allocations to the 21 local government areas (LGAs) of Anambra State. This suspension will remain in effect pending the resolution of an ongoing court case.
The directive resulted from an ex parte motion filed by legal practitioner Mr. Chukwuebuka Mmeni. Justice Kawo’s ruling not only halts the remittance of funds from the consolidated revenue funds by the Accountant General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance but also mandates a thorough investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The investigation will examine the utilization of funds received by the LGAs from March 2022 to April 2024.
Defendants in the case include the Accountant General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Anambra State Government, and the EFCC. The court has granted all the requests presented by Mmeni’s counsel, N. O. Okpe, acting on behalf of Chimezie Enuka.
Further details on this developing story will be provided as they become available.