Anambra State High Court has restrained Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting Alex Ibezim, archbishop of the Province of the Niger and bishop of the Diocese of Awka, Anglican Communion.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ibezim was accused of illegally disposing of church land and diverting the funds. The petition against him also alleged voracious wealth acquisition and cheating some of his associates, leading to the EFCC’s probe.
On Tuesday, F.I. Aniukwu, a vacation judge in the Awka judicial division, issued an interim injunction following an ex parte motion filed by B.E.I. Nwofor, Ibezim’s lawyer, against the EFCC and Bonti Onuigbo.
The motion sought an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents by themselves and by their staff, servants, officers, workers, agents, or howsoever, from acting on or doing anything whatsoever, based on the second respondent’s letter dated 28th July.
In granting the request, the judge ruled that the interim order is made to last till such a period that the parties would have fully exchanged processes in respect of the motion on notice No: A/1307M/2025 filed alongside the motion ex parte and the motion on notice heard or fixed for hearing by the regular court seized of the suit.
Justice Aniukwu further added that unless renewed, the order of interim injunction herein granted shall elapse 21 days from today.
