A 70-year-old businessman, Mr
Kingsley Uche-Mba, Tuesday sued the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, before an Abuja High Court sitting in
Lugbe for allegedly invading his residence. The plaintiff, a fuel merchant living at 213,
Cadastral Layout, Jikwoyi Phase 1, Abuja, in an
originating motion filed by his counsel, Mr
Shaka Awaliene, joined Mr Nicholas Elechi, a
lawyer, in the suit. In his submission, Awaliene said that operatives
of the EFCC forced their way into his client’s
apartment at about 5.40 a.m. on August 31,
without a warrant on the instigation of Elechi. He said that the operatives entered his client’s
residence with sophisticated weapons and
handcuffs with the intent to arrest him while
he was away in his village. He added that the operatives harassed the wife
and daughter of his client. Awaliene said that when his client contacted
Elechi, who led the operatives to his house, he
(Elechi) claimed the plaintiff benefitted from a
land transaction in Decembr 2011, for which he
must refund N2.5 million. He said that one of the operatives told his
client’s son to tell his father to pay the said
amount or risk being arrested and taken to the
EFCC Port Harcourt office from where they
came. The plaintiff, therefore, prayed the court to
declare the alleged act of the EFCC operatives
a violation of his fundamental human right and
his right to personal liberty and family life. He said: “The illegal and forceful entering into
the applicant’s premises without warrant, the
harassment, threat of arrest and demand for
ransom, amount to violation of his right to
dignity of human person. When the case came up for mention, the
defendants were absent and were not
represented by counsel and the plaintiff’s
counsel moved a motion for substituted
service of the court processes on them. Justice Angela Otaluka, however, refused to
grant the motion and insisted on personal
service on the respondents and adjourned the
case to Nov. 28 for them to be properly served
and appear in court.
Kingsley Uche-Mba, Tuesday sued the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, before an Abuja High Court sitting in
Lugbe for allegedly invading his residence. The plaintiff, a fuel merchant living at 213,
Cadastral Layout, Jikwoyi Phase 1, Abuja, in an
originating motion filed by his counsel, Mr
Shaka Awaliene, joined Mr Nicholas Elechi, a
lawyer, in the suit. In his submission, Awaliene said that operatives
of the EFCC forced their way into his client’s
apartment at about 5.40 a.m. on August 31,
without a warrant on the instigation of Elechi. He said that the operatives entered his client’s
residence with sophisticated weapons and
handcuffs with the intent to arrest him while
he was away in his village. He added that the operatives harassed the wife
and daughter of his client. Awaliene said that when his client contacted
Elechi, who led the operatives to his house, he
(Elechi) claimed the plaintiff benefitted from a
land transaction in Decembr 2011, for which he
must refund N2.5 million. He said that one of the operatives told his
client’s son to tell his father to pay the said
amount or risk being arrested and taken to the
EFCC Port Harcourt office from where they
came. The plaintiff, therefore, prayed the court to
declare the alleged act of the EFCC operatives
a violation of his fundamental human right and
his right to personal liberty and family life. He said: “The illegal and forceful entering into
the applicant’s premises without warrant, the
harassment, threat of arrest and demand for
ransom, amount to violation of his right to
dignity of human person. When the case came up for mention, the
defendants were absent and were not
represented by counsel and the plaintiff’s
counsel moved a motion for substituted
service of the court processes on them. Justice Angela Otaluka, however, refused to
grant the motion and insisted on personal
service on the respondents and adjourned the
case to Nov. 28 for them to be properly served
and appear in court.
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