Court awards Pastor, wife N10m against EFCC for ‘ unlawful’ publication

Orders EFCC to return seized property

JBy Bertram Nwannekanma USTICE Isa Dashen of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, has declared that the publication of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) in The Guardian Newspaper, on June 8, 2022, naming Pastor Oyinmiebi Bribena and his wife, Pastor Beatrice Bribena, as wanted without a valid court order, is unjustified, unlawful and unconstitutional.

The judge made this declaration while ruling on a matter marked FHC/ YNG/ CS/ 132/ 2022, which was filed on June 10, 2022, seeking the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the Bribena’s against the EFCC and Wilson Uwujaren.

Bribena is the Pastor in charge of Christ Embassy Church in Kumasi Ghana. The court entered judgment in their favour and resolved the sole issue against the EFCC and Uwujaren.

Additionally, the court declared that the EFCC’S June 8, 2022 publication on page 36, declaring the duo wanted without a valid court order, constitutes a breach of their fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, right to private and family life and dignity of the human person, as guaranteed by Sections 34( 1), 35( 1), 37, and 41( 1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria ( as amended) and Articles 4, 5, 6, and 12( 1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights ( Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap A9, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Justice Dashen further ordered the EFCC to offer a public apology to the claimants for the unlawful and unconstitutional publication.

The court also restrained the EFCC from inviting, harassing, arresting, and detaining Oyinmiebi and Beatrice Bribena, pending the determination of suit FHC/ YNG/ CS/ 125/ 2022 between Bliss Multinational Perfections Limited and another vs. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.