By Abiola Olawale
Adeolu Adeboye, son of Redeemed Christian Church of God’s General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has purportedly approached the Federal High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, seeking an order barring the Kaduna State Government from investigating him over an abandoned contract allegedly awarded to him.
The Pastor’s son, according to a report by SaharaReporters, a United States based digital newspaper, was allegedly awarded over N8 billion contract by the Kaduna State Government under the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
According to the report, Adeolu reportedly secured the contract through a company with potential links to him and identified as Ronchess Global Resources Plc.
Going by the report, the project which was said to be an 8km road in Zaria, was said to have been awarded to Ronchess Global Resources Plc on September 15, 2020.
However, the project was allegedly abandoned after 30% scope of work and milestone. This was said to have raised concerns under the new administration of Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State.
The Kaduna House of Assembly was also said to have launched an investigation into the development.
Following the action by the Kaduna state House of Assembly, Adeolu reportedly filed a suit FHC/L/CS/1206/24) at the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking an injunction restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna State Government, and the House of Assembly from arresting or detaining him over the uncompleted project.
The EFCC, Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Kaduna State Government and Kaduna State House of Assembly are listed as the 1st to 6th Respondents respectively.
Checks indicate that a Kaduna State House of Assembly team had inspected the Wusasa to Danmagaji Nagoya Road project site (Kaduna North Local Government Area) on May 16, 2024, at 4:47 pm. Upon inspection, the team was said to have found the site abandoned by Ronchess Global Resources Plc, a company with potential links to Adeolu Adeboye.
The Pastor’s son also sought the interim order barring the above authorities from initiating any action against the company pending the hearing and final determination of the Applicant’s (Adeolu) Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction filed herein.
Ruling on the matter, the presiding judge, Justice K.O. Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos granted an interim order “to the Applicant (Adeolu) directing the parties herein, whether by themselves, their agents, officers, servants or otherwise howsoever to 4th Applicant and the threat of his arrest and detention by the 1st – 4th Respondents, the subject matter of this suit, pending the hearing and final determination of the Applicant’s Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction filed herein.”
The court also granted the following: “An Interim Order is hereby granted to the Applicant restraining the Respondents from taking any or further steps about the subject matter of this fundamental right action and issues canvassed therein, pending the hearing and final determination of the Applicant’s Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction filed herein.
“That the Applicant shall file an undertaking as to damages within seven (7) days.
“That this Order and the Motion on Notice shall be served on the Respondents within seven (7) days.
“That this case is adjourned to 20/9/2024, for hearing of the Motion on Notice.”
However, in a counter-affidavit filed by the EFCC sworn to by a staff member of the anti-corruption agency, Mohammed Arabo on August 14, 2024, at the Federal High Court Registry, Ikoyi, the snti-graft agency maintained that after a critical assessment of the petition and interaction with the principal officers of the 6th Respondent, it “found evidence of fraud and criminal diversion of public funds against the Applicant (Adeolu Adeboye) and 26 other contractors”.
Arabo identified himself as a member of the team set up by the 1st Respondent (EFCC) to investigate the petition.
He further deposed that the “Applicant’s company, Ronchess Global Resources Plc abandoned the jobs even though the level of completion is 30%”.
Arabo further insisted that the “Applicant’s company, Ronchess Global Resources Plc has collected a sum of N8,185,014,328.95 (Eight Billion, One Hundred and Eighty Five Million, Fourteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty Eight Naira, Ninety Five Kobo) even though the level of completion of the jobs is only 30% (thirty per cent)”.
He said: “In line with the practice of the 1st Respondent (EFCC), we sent invitation letters to the aforementioned contractors, including the Applicant, to enable them to react to the allegations made against them by the 6th Respondent.
“The 1st Respondent invited 35 contractors indicted by the 6th Respondent. 16 Contractors reported and made statements to the 1st Respondent’s team while 9 others have requested to report at a later day.
“The Applicant is one of the 10 other contractors that rushed to this Honourable Court for judicial cover from investigation.”
