Court orders EFCC to pay N1million to college provost for rights violation

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay N1 million to a former college provost, Mr. Babajide Adelekan, for rights violation.

Adelekan was arrested in 2018 when he visited a bank to find out why his account was frozen.

He was the Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, at the time of the incident.

Justice Ojukwu, who ruled on Adelekan’s application via a virtual court sitting, held that the EFCC failed to prove why he was arrested and detained.

The judge held that the commission failed to provide credible evidence on the applicant’s arrest and subsequent detention.

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

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She said: “His (Adelekan) 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.”

The judge also ordered the anti-graft agency to release the applicant’s international passport and refrain from any action inimical to his rights.

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