Obasanjo’s Former Minister Sues EFCC For N1 Billion After Being Declared Wanted

Former Minister of Power and Steel during ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, Olu Agunloye, has taken legal recourse by filing a N1 billion lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Naija News reports that the lawsuit is centred around allegations that the EFCC included his name on its wanted list published on the agency’s website.

The lawsuit, currently before Justice Emeka Nwite at a Federal High Court in Abuja and identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/167/2024, has Agunloye as the plaintiff, represented by his legal team headed by Adeola Adedipe, SAN, and is set for a hearing on April 18.

Agunloye pursued six forms of relief, one of which was a declaration challenging the EFCC’s authority to lawfully exercise its discretion, powers, and functions as prescribed in Sections 1(2)(c), 6, 7, 13 of the EFCC Act, 2004, and Section 4 of the Police Act 2020, through the public declaration of him as wanted on its official website or any other pertinent platform.

Agunloye mentioned that this took place without consideration of any safeguards in Sections 34({1)(a), 35, 37, 39, 41, and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which involve judicial intervention, orders, or court permissions as per Sections 1(1), 8(1), & 42(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

He requested an order for the EFCC, its agents, representatives, privies and other related affiliates to immediately remove his picture, name, references, details, and any other particulars from the wanted list published on its official website or any other related platform.

Agunloye requested a perpetual injunction to prevent the EFCC and the AGF from declaring him wanted in relation to the lawsuit without judicial intervention or adherence to constitutional safeguards.

Additionally, he sought one billion naira in general damages from the defendants, particularly the EFCC, along with the cost of legal action.