Court orders EFCC to remove Emefiele’s wife, photos from wanted list
A Federal High Court in Lagos has declared the declaration of Margaret Emefiele, wife of former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, as a wanted person by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to be illegal.
Margaret Emefiele had sued the EFCC and its chairman for declaring her a wanted person and publishing her photographs on its website without a valid court order.
In suit No. FHC/L/CS/262/2024, Mrs. Emefiele argued that the EFCC’s decision to add her name to its wanted persons list without any valid charge or court order was a violation of her fundamental human rights.
She also requested that the court order the EFCC to remove her name and photograph from the wanted persons list on its website and to issue an apology on two national television stations and three newspapers for the alleged rights infringement.
Delivering judgment last Friday, Justice D. I. Dipeolu held that it was illegal for the EFCC to have published Mrs. Emefiele’s name and photograph on its website as a wanted person without complying with sections 41 and 42 of the ACJA 2015 and without any valid charge or court order.
The judge ordered the EFCC to pay N3 million in damages for the rights infringement and stated: “The applicant is entitled to the protection of her fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, right to dignity of her person, freedom of movement, and right to security as guaranteed under sections 33, 34, 35, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Articles 4, 5, 6, and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A9) VOL.1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2011.”
The judge also declared that the publication of Mrs. Emefiele’s name and photograph on the EFCC’s website without complying with the provisions of sections 41 and 42 of the ACJA and without any valid charge or court order amounted to a violation of her fundamental rights. The EFCC was directed to immediately remove the publication of her name and photographs from its website.
