The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday awarded N50million damages against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in favour of a defendant, Babatunde Morakinyo, who was unlawfully re-arrested by the commission’s operatives last year.
The judge, Inyang Ekwo, ruled that the anti-graft agency abused its powers by re-arresting Mr Morakinyo after he was granted bail by another judge of the court, Ahmed Mohammed, on March 19, 2020.
Mr Ekwo ordered the commission to publish a public apology to Mr Morakinyo in two national dailies within 14 days for trampling on his rights when he was re-arrested on the court premises in Abuja shortly after he was released on bail.
The commission had claimed that Mr Morakinyo was rearrested for another charge filed against him in the Lagos Division of the court.
But Mr Ekwo dismissed the commission’s excuse for the rearrest.
Mr Ekwo, in the certified true copy of the judgment seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, described the re-arrest as an abduction of the applicant.
He declared that “the abduction and detention of the applicant from the court premises by the respondent is unlawful, unconstitutional and a breach of the applicant’s right to personal liberty.
Credit: premiumtimesng.com
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