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Court awards damages against EFCC over rights violation
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The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay N3 million to a businessman, Idaresit Monday Ekpo, for breaching his fundamental rights.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu declared the confiscation of his International Passport since 2015 as illegal and a gross violation of his rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement and right to own property.
He ordered the anti-graft agency to release the passport without further delay.
Justice Dipeolu ordered the EFCC to forthwith delete the businessman’s name and picture(s) from its wanted list and to pay him N3 million as damages for reputational harm done to him.
The judge made the orders in a judgment on a fundamental rights enforcement suit FHC/L/CS/1885/2024 filed by the businessman with EFCC as the sole respondent.
Ekpo, through his lawyer, C. Anyanwu, sought a declaration that the seizure of the applicant’s passport and continuous publication of his name and picture on the respondent’s wanted list were unlawful and unconstitutional, as they violated his right to dignity guaranteed under Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution and Article’5 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
He prayed the court to order the deletion of his name from the wanted list, the release of his passport, and N100 million in damages.
Justice Dipeolu held that: “Having failed to challenge the applicant’s affidavit in support of the application, the respondent has admitted all the depositions therein as true and unchallenged.
“The continuous seizure of the applicant’s International Passport by the respondent since 2015 is illegal, unconstitutional and a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement and right to own and retain possession of property guaranteed under Sections 35 (1), 41 (1), and 44 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) and Article 12 (1) of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
“The respondent is to forthwith delete the applicant’s name and picture(s) from the Respondent’s wanted list including but not limited to the list published on the Respondent’s website, social media accounts and those within the premises of the Respondent across the country.
“The respondent is directed to forthwith release to the applicant his International Passport without any further delay.
“The respondent is directed to pay the sum of N3million in favour of the applicant as damages done to the applicant’s reputation and the stigma occasioned as a result of the infringement of his fundamental rights.”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Suspected bandits have kidnapped retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, former Director of Defence Information, and his wife on Matazu Road in Katsina State.
Security sources told PRNigeria that the couple was ambushed on Saturday morning, May 30, 2026, while travelling in a red Peugeot 504 saloon car.
The gunmen intercepted the vehicle and whisked the retired officer and his wife to an unknown location.
The driver escaped with gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, a security source said.
The former DDI and his wife were waylaid by armed men on the route. The driver escaped with gunshot injuries and is receiving medical attention,” the source stated.
Security forces have launched search-and-rescue operations and deployed intelligence assets to track the abductors, according to the source. Official confirmation from the military was still pending at press time.
—Rising concern in Katsina—
The abduction comes amid persistent insecurity in parts of Katsina despite ongoing military operations against bandit groups in the North-West.
In recent years, several serving and retired security personnel have been targeted on highways linking Katsina to neighbouring states. PRNigeria reports that criminal groups now see high-profile individuals, including retired military officers, as lucrative targets.
Maj-Gen Abubakar served as Director of Defence Information and was one of the Nigerian military’s most visible spokespersons during the counterinsurgency campaign against Boko Haram.
The incident is expected to renew calls for stronger security along major highways and rural communities in Katsina, where residents continue to face kidnapping and banditry.
Credit :PRNigeria
Abia State Police Command has nabbed two suspects for conspiracy, attempted child theft and possession of hard drugs.
The Command which made this known on Saturday, named the suspects as Nzubechi Chinagorom and Chinonso Chibundu, indigenes of Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA of the Abia State.
In a statement signed by DSP Maureen Chinaka, the Police Public Relations Officer, the Command said its officers apprehended the suspects through actionable intelligence, in collaboration with Olokoro vigilante personnel.
She stated that the suspects went to the residence of one Miss Amarachi Chinyereugo and attempted to forcibly take away her two-week-old baby girl.
DSP Chinaka said that the Nzubechi Chinagorom allegedly stabbed the nursing mother with a kitchen knife during a struggle, causing the baby to fall and hit her head on ground.
The police spokesperson said that the two suspects fled from the scene and ran into a nearby bush on realizing that the nursing mother, Miss Amarachi Chinyereugo cried out for help.
She added that the suspects were later apprehended at a bus stop
where they had reportedly gone to take hard drugs.
“The mother and child were immediately rushed to the hospital, where they received treatment and have since recovered.
“The suspects were apprehended, exhibits were recovered and investigation has been conducted at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). Suspects will be charged to court on 2/06/2026,” Chinaka said.
Ex-Minister of Labour and Productivity, SellJoel Ikenya, has been declared winner of the governorship primaries conducted by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Taraba State.
Mr Felix Hyat, the chairman of the election committee, who announced the results in Jalingo on Saturday, said Ikenya scored 34,173, to defeat Mr Dinshiya Usman, who polled 4,853.
Hyat, who described the exercise as free, fair and transparent, commended the state working committee of the party for the peaceful conduct.
Ikenya, in his acceptance speech, pledged to revive Taraba to her days of glory if elected governor in 2027.
“I will transform Taraba; I will change the state from salary base, to an industrialised state.
“My desire is to also revive the state infrastructure and attract more investors to boost the economy,” he said.
The governorship candidate, however, denied the allegations of factional PDP in Taraba.
“There is no factional PDP in Taraba; I don’t know where the other people are coming from.
“PDP in Taraba is one, and we do not have any faction in the state. We are working as one united family to reclaim our mandate from Gov. Agbu Kefas of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, the Nyesom Wike led faction of the party had recently declared senator Emmanuel Bwacha as its governorship candidate in Taraba.
NAN
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