stopped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from
declaring the chairman of defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed
Maina, wanted.
In a judgement delivered on Monday February 18th, Justice Guwa
Ogunbanjo, described the action of the anti-graft agency to declare
Maina wanted as unlawful. Recall that in September 2018, Maina had filed
a suit before the court asking if it was lawful for the antigraft
agency to declare him wanted on its official website or any other media
platform, or by harassing him.
The EFCC declared Maina wanted over his role in a fraudulent
biometric contract allegedly undertaken through him, a former Head of
Service Steve Oronsaye and two others while he was in office as well his
alleged stealing of N2 billion from the Pension fund.
Maina denied the allegation and went underground after the charges
were filed against him. The EFCC declared him wanted as well as the
INTERPOL.
Delivering judgment in the suit filed by Maina against the
EFCC, Justice Ogunbanjo gave an order of perpetual Injunction
restraining EFCC and its affiliates or related bodies from further
declaring Maina ‘wanted”. He also ruled that the action of placing Maina
as “wanted” was unlawful, as it was an infringement on his fundamental
human rights.
The judge said it was done without an order of a court of competent
jurisdiction, as stipulated by section 41 and 42 of the Administration
of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
