Founder of Baraza Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (BMCSL) Pastor Oyinmiebi Bribena and his wife Beatrice have filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State following a declaration by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that they were wanted.
EFCC recently said the couple were wanted over an “alleged case of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering and Ponzi scheme to the tune of Two Billion Naira only.”
Bribena, who is pastor of Believers Loveworld Incorporated aka Christ Embassy, has now asked the court to enforce their fundamental human rights, stating that the EFCC never invited them for interrogation before declaring them as wanted persons.
“We did not receive any invitation letter from the EFCC and were not aware of any summons or pending charge against us by the EFCC.
“It is therefore surprising that the commission will go to such length to damage our reputation and make me and my family to go through media trial,” he said.
Prior to their declaration as wanted persons by the EFCC, the cleric had filed an originating summons before the court against the anti-graft agency.
He sought the determination of some questions with regard to the powers of the EFCC to interfere in disputes between members of the cooperative society, considering the provisions of the Nigerian Cooperative Societies Act of 2004.
Bribena said members of the cooperative society approved that the society trade with their contributions at an online foreign exchange market for monthly returns, which ran smoothly until the unfortunate events where most of the funds were lost in the market.
He said despite the loss, he had constantly made frantic efforts to recover and refund members their contribution as authorised by the general meeting of the cooperative, but the actions of the EFCC had constituted a spoke in the wheel of progress.
Bribena, who assured contributors that all hope was not lost, stated that he would not relent in the efforts being made to clear his name.
Bribena is a pastor at Christ Embassy Kumasi 1, Ghana.
