Ex-Power Minister, Agunloye files N1bn suit against EFCC for declaring him wanted

Ex-Power Minister, Agunloye files N1bn suit against EFCC for declaring him wanted

Dr. Olu Agunloye, former Minister of Power and Steel under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, has filed a N1 billion suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations that it published his name on its website’s wanted list.

Agunloye, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/167/2024 and filed by his team of lawyers led by Mr Adeola Adedipe, SAN, also joined the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd defendant.

The case, presently before Justice Emeka Nwite of Federal High Court, Abuja, has now been fixed for April 18 for hearing.

The originating summons, dated and filed February 8, was sighted by the News Agency of Nigeria yesterday.

The ex-minister sought six reliefs, including a declaration that the EFCC cannot lawfully exercise its discretion, powers and/or functions under Sections 1(2\(c\, 6, 7, 13 of the EFCC Act, 2004, ditto Section 4 of the Police Act 2020, by declaring him wanted on its official website or any other related platform.

Agunloye said this was without recourse to any safeguard in Sections 34({1)(a), 35, 37, 39, 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including a judicial intervention, order or leave of court pursuant to Sections 1(1), 8(1) & 42(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

He, therefore, sought an order for the EFCC, its agents, privies, representatives and other related affiliates to forthwith remove his picture, name, references, details and or particulars from the wanted list published on its official website or any other related platform.

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He also sought a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC and the AGF, “both jointly or severally, whether by themselves or their staff, from further declaring the plaintiff wanted in relation to the particulars and subject matter of this suit, either on the EFCC official website, newspaper publication or any other related platform, except by a judicial intervention and recourse to all constitutional safeguards available to him in law and equity.

“General damages of one billion naira (N1,000,000,000.00) against the defendants, especially the 1st defendant.”

In the affidavit, which he personally deposed to, Agunloye said he sought a redress and judicial intervention from court having regard to some very disturbing actions of the anti-graft agency, which he said ought not to occur under the watch of the AGF, who is the chief law officer of the federation.