Enugu State has officially withdrawn from the legal challenge to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) guidelines, currently before the Supreme Court. Initially filed by Kogi State in 2023 and later joined by 18 other states, the suit questions the legality of the EFCC’s establishment and the constitutionality of the NFIU’s cash withdrawal limit guidelines.
Enugu’s withdrawal makes it the sixth state to exit the suit, following Anambra, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Benue, and Jigawa, who previously pulled out. Benue’s withdrawal was prompted by the governor’s disapproval of the state’s involvement, while Ogun State clarified that its challenge focused on seeking a court interpretation of the NFIU guidelines rather than questioning the EFCC’s constitutionality.
The suit argues that the EFCC Act, enacted in 2004, violated the constitutional requirement for a majority of state houses of assembly to approve international conventions, such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption, before laws like the EFCC Act can be passed. With Enugu’s withdrawal, 13 states remain in the suit, which the Supreme Court has reserved judgment on following hearings in October 2024.
