Former minister of power and steel Olu Agunloye has filed a N1 billion suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for declaring him wanted.
The suit filed by his team of lawyers led by Adeola Adedipe (SAN) will be heard on April 18 by Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court, Abuja.
The originating summons, dated and filed February 8, was sighted by the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday.
The ex-minister sought six reliefs, including a declaration that the EFCC cannot lawfully exercise its discretion, powers and or functions under Sections 1(2\(c\, 6, 7, 13 of the EFCC Act, 2004, ditto Section 4 of the Police Act 2020, by declaring him wanted on its official website or any other related platform.
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Agunloye said this was without recourse to any safeguard in Sections 34({1)(a), 35, 37, 39, 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including a judicial intervention, order or leave of court pursuant to Sections 1(1), 8(1) & 42(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
He, therefore, sought an order for the EFCC, its agents, privies, representatives and other related affiliates to forthwith remove his picture, name, references, details and or particulars from the wanted list published on its official website or any other related platform.
In the affidavit which he deposed, Agunloye said that as a result of this action by the first defendant (EFCC), he has become a subject of ridicule, stripped of my dignity, freedom of movement and even presumption of innocence.
Agunloye is facing fraud trial over the controversial Mambila Power Project which he awarded while he was minister during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
