From Godwin Tsa Abuja
The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has been asked to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately arrest and prosecute Nigerian oil and gas mogul, Mr. Benedict Peters, who is the present Chairman, Aiteo Group of Companies.
In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/239/2021 and filed at the Federal High Court on Friday, the plaintiff, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET), stated that it had on 15th February 2021 written a petition to the EFCC urging it to revisit the allegations of various economic crimes against Mr. Benedict Peters within seven working days with a view to bringing him to book.
The petition was to satisfy the legal requirement that specific demand for the performance of statutory duty must be made on a government agency such as EFCC before the Writ of Mandamus can lie against it.
A copy of the petition made available to journalists accused Mr. Peters of some inappropriate conduct between 2014 and now, ranging from conspiracy to fraud, tax evasion, corruption, and money laundering using his Aiteo Group of Companies comprising Aiteo Eastern E & P Company Ltd, Aiteo Energy Limited and Aiteo Energy Resources Ltd.
The group said it decided to approach the court at this time on the consolation that nobody, no matter how highly placed, is above the law and there is no limitation to criminal prosecution in Nigeria.