Court Adjourns Bid by SAN to Stop EFCC Probe Over ₦156m Property Dispute

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Tuesday adjourned proceedings in a suit filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oladejo Lamikanra, and Woodcoate Properties Limited seeking to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating a petition over an alleged ₦156 million property transaction.

The case, before Justice S. B. Belgore of High Court No. 9, could not proceed after the court held that the EFCC, listed as the fifth defendant, had not been served with the hearing notice for the Motion on Notice.

Justice Belgore subsequently adjourned the matter until July 23, 2026, to allow for proper service on the anti-graft agency and for the substantive application to be heard.

The dispute arose from a petition by AK Culture & Media Ltd, a Nigerian company with Chinese investment interests, alleging that it paid about ₦156 million to Woodcoate Properties Limited for the lease of a property in Katampe Extension, Abuja, but was neither granted possession of the property nor refunded its money.

The company also alleged that after making the payment, it was asked to pay an additional ₦63 million before possession of the property would be released.

Lamikanra and Woodcoate Properties, however, denied the allegations, insisting that the disagreement is purely contractual and should not form the basis of a criminal investigation.

Following the petition, the EFCC commenced preliminary investigative steps by inviting parties involved in the transaction.

The claimants thereafter approached the FCT High Court, where they secured interim orders restraining the commission from continuing aspects of its investigation pending the determination of their Motion on Notice.

The interim order also restrained the defendants and persons acting on their behalf from submitting further petitions or complaints to the EFCC or any other law enforcement or regulatory agency concerning the disputed transaction until the application is determined.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Tahiru Adebayo, SAN, appeared for the claimants, while Frank Tietie represented the first to fourth defendants.

With the EFCC yet to be served, the court declined to entertain the substantive application.

Court documents filed by the defendants contend that the matter goes beyond a simple contractual dispute, arguing that allegations surrounding the receipt of ₦156 million, failure to hand over possession of the property, demand for an additional ₦63 million and refusal to refund the money justified a criminal investigation by the EFCC.

The claimants, however, insist that the commission should not be used as a debt recovery agency, maintaining that the issues raised are civil in nature.

The case has attracted significant attention within legal and business circles because of its potential implications for the powers of investigative agencies, the distinction between civil and criminal disputes, and investor confidence, particularly where foreign-backed businesses are involved.

The court is expected to hear arguments on July 23 on whether the interim orders should be sustained, varied or discharged, as well as preliminary objections challenging the competence of the suit.