Benin based businessman has sued the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and two officials of the Benin zonal office of the commission for N100 million over an alleged unlawful detention and obnoxious bail conditions.
The businessman, Mr Romeo Shiko also sort other reliefs in the suit, for his unlawful detention since, January 21, 2019 till date and his prior arrest and unlawful detention for 16 days in July, 2017, without justifiable cause and without a complaint from any nominal complainant.
The Fundamental Human Rights Suit No. FHC /B/CS/12/19: Shiko Romeo v. the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and 2 ors., was filed on Friday February 1, 2019, by his Counsel, Ogbusua Rose Oleh, of Douglas Ogbankwa & Co. a Benin Based Law Firm, at the Federal High Court, Benin Judicial Division.
The applicant, who is currently in EFCC Benin zonal office’s custody since January 21 till the suit was filed on February 1, 2019, stated in depositions through his wife,Mrs Rita Shiko, and the argument of his counsel, that he was arrested and unlawfully detained in July, 2017 for 16 days with out a complainant in the matter and he has been reporting and signing at the EFCC Benin Zonal monthly since then .
He stated that his said detention is outside the constitutional acceptable threshold of 24 hours as provided for by Section Section 35 (1) and 5 (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ,1999 (As Amended ) and Section 31 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Shiko stated further that the EFCC has been using their obnoxious bail conditions for suspects in their custody to provide sureties of Grade Level 12 civil servants and above and/ or house owners with Certificates of Occupancy, to unlawfully detain suspects (including the Applicant ) in their Benin zonal office, for days and sometimes weeks.
The Applicant is asking for seven reliefs, including, but not limited to an Order of perpetual injunction, restraining the respondents, the EFCC and their officials, from re-arresting and detaining him for unjustifiable reasons.
Shiko also sort for an order releasing him from EFCC custody, damages and compensation of N100 million and an order declaring null and void the above stated obnoxious bail conditions of the commission.
