By Ihechi Enyinnaya
Several students were injured, with one hospitalized, after gun-wielding officers from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) raided Goodwill Private Schools in Ikorodu, attempting to forcibly take possession of the property.
Daily Review Online learned that on Thursday, February 27, three EFCC officers stormed and sealed the school, claiming to have a forfeiture order from the Court. Upon discovering that the school’s proprietor, Pastor Sunday Enikuomehin, was absent, the officers allegedly handed a document to the Acting Vice Principal, Mr. Olalekan Adewale, demanding he sign it.
“When I refused to sign the document, they threatened to take me away,” Mr. Adewale said. “Other staff members and students insisted they should be taken too. The officers then posted a notice of possession and left after more than two hours on the premises. By this time, all activities in both the secondary and primary sections of the school had come to a halt.”
However, EFCC officers returned on Friday, February 28, and ordered all students and staff members to vacate the premises.
Adewale recalled, “On Friday, the children were gathered for morning devotion when gun-wielding EFCC officials arrived and ordered everyone to leave the school grounds, leaving their belongings behind. The children were in shock—they had never experienced anything like this before. It felt like a war situation. I had to beg them not to approach the primary section, as there were young children there. The chaos lasted over three hours.”
One senior student shared, “They pointed guns at us and told us we couldn’t take our bags or belongings. They threatened to shoot us. Many of us were crying and running in every direction.” The student, who asked to remain anonymous, added, “They didn’t care if you were in primary or nursery school. It felt like something out of a movie. Many of us were injured. One of the students was taken to the hospital after suffering a seizure and vomiting.”
The dispute centers around a loan mortgage Pastor Enikuomehin took from FCMB in 2004 to build the school. When the school defaulted on the loan, both parties agreed to auction the property to settle the debt. However, FCMB allegedly undervalued the property and proceeded to invite a buyer without following the agreed-upon rules and procedures.
While efforts were being made to reconcile the matter, Mrs. Olabisi Victoria Olaiya, a buyer who claimed to have paid N90 million to the bank for the property, petitioned FCMB when she was unable to take possession.
In response to the recent developments, the school’s legal representatives asserted that the EFCC’s actions violated the terms of the court agreement between the parties involved.
A letter from Lofa Ohadyele Esq., Head of Chambers at BENSON ENIKUOMEHIN & CO. (Shalom Chambers), addressed to the Registrar of Court 10, Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on February 27, 2025, highlighted the EFCC’s disregard for the court’s agreement.
The letter states: “RE: SUIT NO. FHC/L/MISC/702/2024 BETWEEN PASTOR SUNDAY OMONIYI ENIKUOMEHIN & 1 OR AND ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC) – INVASION OF GOODWILL PRIVATE SCHOOLS, IKORODU, LAGOS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2025”
The letter continues: “The suit was heard before His Lordship Hon. Justice A.O. Owoeye on February 5, 2025, with Dr. Benson Enikuomehin representing the parties. EFCC was represented by Hannatu Umar Kofarnaisa Esq. It was agreed that no actions would be taken regarding the property while the matter was pending. However, the EFCC has ignored this agreement, and their actions on February 27, 2025, caused widespread panic, disrupted academic activities, and affected the surrounding neighborhood.”
“We have attached photographic and video evidence of the EFCC’s actions. We believe the EFCC’s conduct demonstrates a disregard for the rule of law, and we respectfully request that the Honourable Court expedite the hearing of this case,” the letter concludes.
The school’s legal team strongly condemns the EFCC’s actions, urging the Court to intervene.