Court Rules EFCC Dismissal of Employee Unlawful

The Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed an appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against its former employee, Abraham Akoji Abutu, affirming that his dismissal was unlawful. The judgment, delivered by Justice Okon Abang as part of a three-man panel, noted that the EFCC failed to comply with public service rules during the dismissal process.

The court identified fundamental defects in the EFCC staff handbook used to justify Abutu's dismissal, stating that there was no evidence that the handbook was validly approved. The court also highlighted that Abutu, who was appointed as a Deputy Detective Superintendent on July 18, 2009, and confirmed in December 2012, was entitled to statutory protection against dismissal.

Consequently, the EFCC's appeal was deemed to lack merit, and the court ordered Abutu's reinstatement, awarding him N300,000 in costs.