On Thursday, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a ₦5 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by 110 individuals, including four Chinese nationals, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The applicants alleged unlawful detention and seizure of their passports following their arrest on January 9 in Abuja’s Katampe District for suspected internet fraud activities.
The court found that the EFCC had obtained a valid remand order on January 10 and renewed it on January 24, which justified the detention period. Justice Omotosho noted that the EFCC’s decision to grant administrative bail indicated no intention of indefinite detention and that the applicants’ failure to meet bail conditions could not be attributed to the EFCC. Consequently, the judge ruled that the applicants failed to prove any violation of their rights and dismissed the suit, directing them to respond to the allegations against them.
