The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has refuted media reports suggesting that it defied a court order issued by Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, directing its operatives to vacate a property located at House 6, Aso Drive, Asokoro, Abuja.
In a statement released on Monday, the anti-graft agency clarified that the EFCC obtained a lawful possession order for the property on March 27, 2025, following a ruling by Justice Liman. The Commission asserted that the property, allegedly linked to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, was forfeited to the Federal Government as proceeds of crime.
“It is not in our character to respond to insinuations regarding judicial procedures, but the distortion of facts reported in some media outlets necessitates this clarification,” the statement read.
EFCC emphasized that it did not mislead the court or suppress any material facts when it secured the ex-parte order mandating Chief Ikechi Emenike, the current occupant, to vacate the premises. The Commission maintained that Emenike’s ongoing contempt proceedings in another court do not affect the possession judgment granted by Justice Liman.
Contrary to public claims, the EFCC dismissed the notion that Emenike had been paying rent to the Commission for over a decade. It acknowledged he was a tenant under a private tenancy agreement with Diezani during the property’s interim forfeiture stage but stressed that the claim of long-term rent payments to the EFCC was “factually incorrect.”
The Commission also described as “preposterous” the assertion that Emenike had been granted the Right of First Refusal to purchase the property. Citing the April 18, 2024 ruling by Justice Liman, the EFCC noted that such a right would only be valid once the Commission officially declared an intention to dispose of the property — a step it has yet to take.
Furthermore, the EFCC denied that any contempt order had been served on its Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, or its legal representative, Mr. Francis Usani. It confirmed that a Stay of Execution concerning the court’s directive was filed on June 16, 2025, and remains pending.
“The EFCC and its leadership are committed to the principles of justice and due process. There is no truth in the narrative that we are in contempt of court,” the statement concluded.
