The Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos State, has ordered the release of a Babcock University student, Miss Oluwateniola Omidiji, allegedly detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a N100,000 debt owed by her mother, Mrs Omoniyi Omidiji.
Omidiji, 19, had already spent 11 days in EFCC detention before the court order.
The court presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro, gave the order on Friday, following an application for the enforcement of her fundamental human rights brought by her Counsel yi, Mr Emeka Chijioke, SAN.
“I have considered the ex parte application, the extant laws under which the application was brought, and the affidavit supporting the application…, I hereby grant the reliefs sought," Bogoro ruled:
EFCC operatives had arrested Omidiji a third year student of Babcock University in the school premises on April 26, 2024, while she was writing her examinations and was subsequently detained at the agency’s facility at Ikoyi, Lagos, where she was kept until Friday, May 3, 2024.
In the fundamental rights suit marked FHC/L/CS/759/224, Omidiji alleged that she was taken hostage by EFCC operatives over a debt which one Mr Charles Nwoko alleged that her mother owed.
Nwoko, who was said to have invested N100m into Mrs Omidiji’s business sometime in 2020, came after Oluwateniola Omidiji for the money and the interest since her mother, his joint venture partner, was outside the country.
During the investigation, EFCC discovered that four persons were named directors in a company called Elisto Global Services Limited, which Mrs Omidiji allegedly used to receive money from Mr Nwoko.
The directors included the applicant’s mother; the alleged creditor, Nwoko; the applicant’s brother and the applicant.
EFCC, in its defence in court, maintained that having been named as a director of the company, Omidiji should answer for her mother’s presumed wrongs in the joint venture with Mr Nwoko.
However, the application to enforce her fundamental rights filed by her lawyer, Omidiji contended that she was only a 16-year-old minor when her mother entered into a partnership with Mr Nwoko adding that she knew nothing about the business.
According to her, it was wrong for the EFCC to hold her hostage over a wrong alleged to have been committed by her mother, even as the transaction was a civil matter.
She also asked the court to order the EFCC to pay her N10 million damages for the violation of her fundamental rights to human dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement.
Meanwhile, Justice Bogoro, has adjourned further hearing in the suit till May 21.
