Alleged illegal detention: Don sues EFCC, demands N100m damages

By Editor. 07/11/19

A lecturer, Mr. Christopher Adejoh, irked by the suffering he underwent in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives, has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before a Federal High Court, Lagos, asking it to award him N100 million as damages against the law enforcement agency for unlawful arrest and detention.

 Adejoh, a College of Education lecturer, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/1950/19, filed by his lawyer, Prince Chijioke Chinewubeze, is also asking the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining EFCC from further harassing, threatening, intimidating, arresting and detaining him for no just or reasonable cause.

The don also asked the court for a mandatory injunction directing the EFCC to immediately release him unconditionally and a declaration that his arrest and detention since September 4, without taking him to any court of law, by EFCC officers at the instance of a bank, as illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and breach of his fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement and dignity of human person.

The applicant in an affidavit deposed to by his nephew, David Enejoh, stated that the EFCC while acting on the order of a bank, arrested the applicant on September 4, at Asaba, Delta State and brought him to its headquarters, where he was detained till date without informing him of any crime he has committed or bringing him before any court.

The deponent also stated that the EFCC, though, gave the applicant bail, but it was with difficult conditions, as he was told to bring a surety with a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of a landed property in Victoria Island or Ikoyi and in alternative, a Civil Servant of Grade Level 14 and above in Lagos State.

David averred that since his nephew could not get the Surety since he is not residing in Lagos State, he went to the EFCC office severally and offered to stand as one or his wife, who is a Level 9 officer in Lagos State, but the EFCC refused to vary the bail conditions to accommodate his request.

He stated that continued detention of his nephew without bringing him before a court of law, is a breach of his fundamental rights and unless the court intervenes, the said breach will continue.

EFCC is yet to respond to the claims, as no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.