Court Fines EFCC N1 Million For Rights Violation

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Thursday,
ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to pay
N1 million to a man for violating his right.

Babajide Adelekan, who was the provost of the Federal College of
Agriculture, Ibadan, at the time, was arrested when he visited his
bank in 2018 to find out why his account was frozen.

In a judgment delivered via a virtual court sitting, Justice
Ijeoma Ojukwu held that the EFCC failed to prove why Mr Adelekan
was arrested and detained.

The judge held that the EFCC failed to lay credible evidence
before it to prove the arrest and detention of the applicant.

On the claim by the EFCC that the applicant was arrested based
on several petitions lodged against him, the judge said that there
was no concrete evidence before the court to establish the
claim.

“His arrest and detention exceeded what is reasonable and
amounts to a violation of his right to liberty and movement.

“I hereby make a declaration that the arrest and detention of
the applicant constitute a violation of his rights as enshrined in
Section 35 of the Constitution.

“In law, any deprivation of liberty or rights of a citizen
attracts a penalty,” she said.

She ordered the anti-graft agency to, in addition to paying the
sum of one million naira to the applicant, release his
international passport and refrain from any action inimical to his
rights. (NAN)

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Thursday,
ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to pay
N1 million to a man for violating his right.

Babajide Adelekan, who was the provost of the Federal College of
Agriculture, Ibadan, at the time, was arrested when he visited his
bank in 2018 to find out why his account was frozen.

In a judgment delivered via a virtual court sitting, Justice
Ijeoma Ojukwu held that the EFCC failed to prove why Mr Adelekan
was arrested and detained.

The judge held that the EFCC failed to lay credible evidence
before it to prove the arrest and detention of the applicant.

On the claim by the EFCC that the applicant was arrested based
on several petitions lodged against him, the judge said that there
was no concrete evidence before the court to establish the
claim.

“His arrest and detention exceeded what is reasonable and
amounts to a violation of his right to liberty and movement.

“I hereby make a declaration that the arrest and detention of
the applicant constitute a violation of his rights as enshrined in
Section 35 of the Constitution.

“In law, any deprivation of liberty or rights of a citizen
attracts a penalty,” she said.

She ordered the anti-graft agency to, in addition to paying the
sum of one million naira to the applicant, release his
international passport and refrain from any action inimical to his
rights. (NAN)