Court Restrains EFCC From Tampering, Marking Trademore’s Properties In Abia

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from tampering, or marking(sealing) properties belonging to Trademore International Holding Ltd in Abia State.

It would be recalled that operatives of the EFCC had sometime in July this year sealed off Trademore company over alleged links to Sen. T. A Orji, a former governor of Abia State, who is said to be under EFCC investigation over corruption allegation.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that the property under dispute has no direct links to Senator T. A. Orji, it was gathered that the estates located in Abia State, had remained sealed till date.

Trademore had taken the anti-graft agency to court challenging the sealing of its building and asking that it be unsealed, in a suit marked “FHC/ABJ/CS/696/2020”, a copy of which was made available to journalists.

In an Ex Parte order granted July 20, 2020 by Justice I. E. Ekwo, the court restrained the EFCC and its agents from further interrogating, harassing or arresting Trademore boss or any other staff of the company “pending final determination of the suit.”

A copy of the Ex Parte Order was addressed to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC by the Court after counsel to the plaintiff(Trademore), N. J. Kalu, Esq., alleged that the defendant(EFCC) had refused service.

Amongst other prayers, the plaintiff(Trademore) is asking the Court for … ;

*An order of this Honourable Court declaring that the defendant unlawfully trespassed into the plaintiff estates located within Abia State which estates are:
i. Luxury apartment estate located on Akanu Ibiam Street along bank road, Umuahia
ii. MIllenium apartment located along Finbars Street Umuahia,
iii. Ogwumabiri event centre located along Okpara Square, Umuahia
iv. Trademore estate located between Ngwu (Bende L.GA) and Ubani Ibeku (Umuahia North LGA).

*An order of this Honourable Court declaring the sealing and taking over of the Plaintiff estates located within Abia State as unlawful and illegal

*An order of this Honourable Court declaring that all Plaintiff estates sealed by the defendant is owned by the plaintiff

*An order of this Honourable Court directing the defendant to unseal the plaintiff estates forthwith and remove all the notes placed on the estates

*An order of this Honourable Court directing the defendant to write a letter of apology to the Plaintiff for the wrongful sealing and taking over possession of the Plaintiff estates located within Abla State

*An order of this Honourable court declaring that none of the plaintiff estate sealed and taken over by the defendant belongs to Senator TA Orji who was the former governor of Abia state

Meanwhile, Mike Ozekhome’s Chambers, Legal Practitioners and Notaries Public, solicitors to the Trademore’s chairman, has written a Caveat Emptor Notice to the general public.

In the Caveat Emptor Notice published on PUNCH newspapers, on Thursday, the law firm insisted that Trademore Int’l Holding Ltd were the real owners of the property sealed by the EFCC.