Alleged Fundamental Right: Pregnant woman, 6 others drag EFCC to court

A pregnant woman and six other persons have dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) one Michael Nzekwe before a Kwara State High Court over alleged infringement on their fundamental rights.

The applicants had dragged the Commission and Nzekwe before the court over their arrest and continuous detention on the instruction of Nzekwe by agents of the EFCC in their custody.

It was alleged that the EFCC had arrested the persons suspected to have engaged in vote-buying in Ekiti State during the just concluded governorship election.

The applicants are: Abiola Morupe Rachael, Abiola Bisola Titilayo, Abiola Mary, Ibrahim Funbi.

Others are: Ibrahim Dele, Ibrahim Adewale, Damilola Ojo.

The Applicants averred that the action of the respondents who refused to take them to court or release them on administrative bail is unlawful and amounts to a violation of the Applicant’s fundamental rights to personal liberty.

In a suit filed before the court by their counsel, Y.A Alajo, , L.O Bello, Olawale Ogundele and S.T Yahaya, the applicants are seeking “ A declaration that the arrest of the Applicants at Ereguru Street of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State and subsequent detention of the Applicants on the instruction of the Respondents by the agents or privies of the 1st and 2nd Respondents at the 1st Respondent’s custody within the radius of forty (40) kilometres of a Court of competent jurisdiction since 18th June 2022 up-to-date and for more than one or two days without taking them to Court or releasing them on administrative bail is unlawful, unconstitutional and constitutes a flagrant violation of the Applicants’ right to personal liberty.

“An order of mandatory injunction, compelling the respondents, jointly, to release the applicants unconditionally or charge the Applicants in court, forthwith, for the alleged electoral offence(s) for which they were arrested.

“An order of mandatory injunction compelling the Respondents, jointly and severally to write an unalloyed and unmitigated letter of apology to the Applicants as required under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended for violation of his fundamental human rights and to publish same in not less than two national dailies and on the internet.

They are also seeking a sum of one hundred million naira (100, 000, 000, 00) jointly and severally against the Respondents as general, exemplary and aggravated damages or compensation to assuage the feelings of the Applicants for the violation of their fundamental human rights to personal liberty.  (Daily Independent)