News
Court Orders EFCC To Pay N10M Damages To Pastor Couple For Unlawful ‘Wanted’ Notice
- Federal High Court in Yenagoa ruled in favor of Pastor Oyinmiebi Biribena and his wife
- EFCC declared the couple wanted without a valid court order
- Court awarded N10 million in damages, ordered EFCC to issue public apology
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay N10 million in damages to Pastor Oyinmiebi Biribena and his wife, Pastor Beatrice Biribena.
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The court found that the EFCC’s actions in declaring the couple wanted without a valid court order were unjustified, unlawful, and unconstitutional.
According to Naija News, although the plaintiffs sought N100 million in damages initially, the court awarded them N10 million as exemplary damages.
The controversy began when the EFCC published a notice on June 8, 2022, declaring the couple wanted.
Olukoyede EFCC chairman
The Biribenas challenged this action in a suit filed on June 10, 2022, seeking to enforce their fundamental human rights.
The court’s decision emphasized that the publication violated the couple’s rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, and dignity, as protected under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
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“The EFCC breached several constitutional protections,” Justice Dashen stated in the ruling, ordering the anti-graft agency to issue a public apology to the couple for the wrongful publication.
Additionally, the court restrained the EFCC from further inviting, harassing, arresting, or detaining the Biribenas, pending the determination of another suit involving Bliss Multinational Perfections Limited and the EFCC.
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