The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared its readiness to meet the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in court over alleged assault on its Makurdi Branch Chairman, Mr. Justin Gbagir by EFCC operatives.

Following a Pre-Action Notice by Mr. T. D. Pepe SAN on behalf of Gbagir, the EFCC stated that there were “absolute misrepresentation of facts” in the Pre-Action Notice, adding: “We shall however for now reserve the correct and accurate articulation and presentation of the facts of what transpired till the appropriate time, that is when we meet in Court as threatened in your said Letter.”

Below is the full text of the update made available to CITY LAWYER.

UPDATE ON ASSAULT ON ME BY EFCC ON THE 8/6/2021.

I was brutally assaulted by the operatives of the EFCC in their Makurdi Office on the 8/6/2021.

I usually give updates monthly on things that transpired during the months.

This month, my update will be in the following:

1. Interface with the EFCC
2. My Health Condition
3. Legal Actions

1. INTERFACE WITH EFCC.
The interface with EFCC has not yielded any positive result. It is obvious that when the NBA President reached out to the EFCC Chairman, the later promised to carry out investigation into what happened and bring the perpetrators to book as a bargaining chip and to cook up a defence.

EFCC Letter dated 9/9/2021 with Reference No. EFCC/LEGAL/DOLD/VOL.6/027 which is a reply to a Letter written by T.D Pepe, SAN as a preaction notice in my behalf and other lawyers Who were defamed by Reference to them as thugs, EFCC has this to say:
“Please be informed that there was absolute misrepresentation of facts in your said Letter regarding what transpired between your clients and officers of the Commission on the said 8th June, 2021. We shall however for now reserve the correct and accurate articulation and presentation of the facts of what transpired till the appropriate time, that is when we meet in Court as threatened in your said Letter”.

The question is whether the said ‘accurate’ facts are different from the statement issued by the Commission on the 9/6/2021 barely 24 hours after the incidence.

2. MY HEALTH CONDITION
I attended check up at the hospital where I had surgery on the 20 and 21 October, 2021. I was given eye drops to use for 3 months and to go back for check up in April, 2022. New Eye Glasses were also recommended for me. I can see clearly with the eye except that tears occasionally formed in the eye, especially when I over stress it.

3. LEGAL ACTIONS
I have collected all the Medical Reports from the hospitals I attended and other documents necessary for filing the suits.
I hope to turn in the documents to the lawyers this week and the suits will be filed in the nearest future.

Thank you all and God bless.

Justin Gbagir, Esq.
NBA Chairman, Makurdi Branch

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