By Our Reporter
The Federal High Court in Abuja, has sopped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from inviting, harassing and threatening to arrest or detain a constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, for criticising its former Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that serial acts of intimidation and constant invitations the anti-graft agency extended to the senior lawyer, as well as threats to arrest, detain and humiliate him, over publications and speeches he made “in respect of the lopsidedness in the corruption fight of the 1st Respondent (EFCC) under the leadership of Magu were illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional.
It held that the action of the agency constituted a blatant violation of the Applicant’s fundamental rights as enshrined in Sections 35, 37, 39 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and Articles 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 & 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Ratification and Enforcement Act, Cap. A9 LFN 2004.
The senior advocate had dragged Magu and the commission before the court in a fundamental right enforcement suit.
Ozekhome had in the suit, told the court that EFCC had continued to harrass him for being a vocal critic of the lopsided nature of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war led by Magu.
He told the court that aside from repeatedly summoning him to appear for questioning, the agency, froze his bank account after he was paid his legal fees totalling the sum of N75million, by the former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.