Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, will be served through substituted means, court ruled on Tuesday.
Justice Silvanus Orji of an FCT High Court in Apo gave the ruling after listening to the submissions of Mike Ozekhome, counsel to an Abuja-based lawyer, Monday Ubani, and a former Senator, Christopher Enai.
The duo have been in EFCC detention since March 19 for standing as sureties for Ngozi Olejeme, who has failed to appear in court for her trial.
Mrs Olejeme once served as chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) from 2009 to 2015.
The judge had on March 26, granted leave to an ex-parte motion filed by Ozekhome to charge Ubani and Enai to court or release them on bail on or before March 28.
Ozekhome, in the motion, prayed the court to order form 48 and 49 be served on any officer at the mail registry of EFCC chairman and legal department at the commission’s headquarters in Jabi.
The judge said the substituted service was necessary since the bailiff was denied access to Magu by armed security personnel at the EFCC headquarters.
The judge added that the court had power to make an order for substituted service of the process where it appears that prompt service cannot be conveniently effected.
”In exercise of the power of the court under Order 7 rule 11, I grant this motion,” Orji said.
