Justice Aliyu Baba Usman of the Bauchi State High Court in Bauchi has granted an order empowering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to continue its investigation of Alhaji Hamza Koshe and his company, Pentech Engineering Nig Ltd.
Koshe had approached the court on September 23, 2024, seeking a restraining order to halt the EFCC from investigating and prosecuting him and his company. In a 31-paragraph affidavit, he requested “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC and ICPC, their agents, privies, cohorts, or any other persons, agencies, commissions or officials from inviting or in any manner subjecting him and his company to their operations or activities as it relates to issues arising from the contract financing agreement between the Bauchi State Ministry of Finance (Treasury Division) and Pentech Engineering Nig Ltd.”
Delivering judgment on July 30, 2025, Justice Usman stated: “This honourable court, and indeed courts of law, lack the requisite powers to restrain by perpetual order or any other order the law enforcement authorities, in this case EFCC and ICPC, from performing their legitimate functions of investigation and prosecution of money laundering, corruption, economic and financial crimes, or any other related offences.”
The judge’s ruling effectively allowed the EFCC to proceed with its investigation. The EFCC had earlier invited Koshe for questioning, but instead of complying, he filed a lawsuit against the Commission.
