News
Court dismisses N5bn suit by Chinese fraud suspects against EFCC
By Francesca Hangeior.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday dismissed a N5 billion suit brought by 110 alleged internet fraudsters against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for lack of merit.
The presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, dismissed the suit because the applicants failed to prove they had been unlawfully detained after taking arguments from both parties.
In an originating motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/80/2025, the applicants sued the EFCC and its Executive Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede.
The applicants are Zhang Xiaowen, Liu Zhiwei, Chen Yeqiu, Lan Shunbin, Abubakar Hassan, Igwe Ozioma, Gabriel Shimlumun, Abdulmuminu Usman, Olamide Olatoye, Jeremiah Abele, Asule James, Bitrus Joseph, Odeh Abel, Jathan Jayock, Jackson Samson, Isiaq Olanrewaju, Adejor Isah, Salihu Suleiman, Joseph Ojoma, Tanko Isah, Omoyele Ebenezer, Olisakwe Chieme, Ohikwo Fatima Musa, Faith Agada, Opara Cynthia, Blessing Thomas and Rachel Habila.
The group, which includes four Chinese nationals, was arrested inside a building in the Katampe District of Abuja on January 9.
According to the EFCC, the arrests followed intelligence reports suggesting the individuals were involved in fraudulent activities, including internet scams.
The agency further alleged that the Chinese nationals had recruited Nigerians to participate in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme.
The EFCC stated that while the suspects coordinated their operations from Nigeria, they used virtual private networks (VPNs) to defraud victims in the United Kingdom, posing as hoteliers.
Following their arrest, the applicants hired a legal team led by Ishaka Dikko (SAN) to enforce their fundamental human rights.
The applicants accused the EFCC of violating their rights to dignity, personal liberty, and fair hearing, as enshrined in Sections 34, 35, 36, 43, and 46 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
They asked the court to declare that their detention from January 9 to 16 exceeded the constitutionally prescribed period and was therefore illegal and unlawful.
They sought ₦5 billion in damages.
The applicants also requested the court to declare that the seizure of their international passports—numbers E55480652, EL6128848, E91567245, and E99903655—during their detention was unlawful and contrary to Sections 36, 43, and 44 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Their lawyer argued that evidence before the court showed the EFCC obtained a remand order on January 10 and renewed it on January 24, after the initial order expired.
Responding, Justice Omotosho held that the remand orders were legally permissible, given the allegations that the applicants’ actions posed a threat to national security.
The judge also noted that the EFCC’s decision to grant administrative bail demonstrated it had no intention of detaining the applicants indefinitely.
He stated that the commission could not be held liable for the applicants’ failure to meet the bail conditions.
Justice Omotosho subsequently dismissed the fundamental rights enforcement suit and urged the applicants to respond to the allegations against them, which were deemed a threat to national security.
According to him, such financial mishandling not only disrupts critical public services and projects but also results in major losses to the nation’s purse—resources that could have been channelled into crucial services and developmental efforts, as laid out in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Speaker Abbas, thereafter setup a Special Committee to be chaired by Rep. Chinedu Martins to immediately launch a probe into the “Utilisation of take-off grants, bailout funds, and interventions allocated to MDAs, government institutions, and GOEs from 2015 to present.”
The FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the Abuja light rail project, reaffirming its May 29 delivery as sacrosanct.
He made these assurances after inspecting the ongoing construction of access roads to the train stations on Wednesday, from Metro Train Station in the Central Area to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Reassuring journalists accompanying him, the minister reiterated that President Bola Tinubu would commission the rail project on May 29 to mark his second year in office.
The visited stations were Wupa station near Idu and Bassanjiwa station near the airport.
“This is part of our routine inspection of ongoing projects to see the contractors’ progress,” Wike explained.
“We are working day and night to fulfill our promise to President Tinubu and FCT residents. By May, Mr. President will ride on the Metro line.”
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen are currently invading some communities in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to sources, the herdsmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the community around 04:15pm on Thursday.
“Our lives are in danger this evening, armed Fulani herdsmen, about 600 in numbers have taken over our communities this evening,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
“They’re currently moving around towns in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state. No security personnel at all, Governor Alia didn’t send security, they said operation will start soon once they (herders) have observed the place.”
The insecurity situation in Benue has been alarming in recent weeks with attacks from gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
The media had reported that suspected herdsmen again unleashed terror in Benue State, attacking three communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday, just a day after 11 people were killed in a deadly raid on Otobi community.
The latest victims of the escalating violence were Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, communities that had previously suffered an attack in February, which left five people dead.
However, the renewed attack has created fear and mass displacement among residents, with women and children fleeing to safety.
Local sources say the death toll from the fresh attack remains unclear, but several casualties are feared.
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