Court Dismisses N10 Million Bribe Allegation Against EFCC

Lagos — A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday dismissed a N10 million bribe allegation against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by a foreign exchange trader, Chinedu Chimelue Eze-Akudo.
The trader had in a fundamental rights enforcement suit, which he filed before the court against the EFCC, alleged that operatives of the commission demanded N10 million as bribe from him before he could be granted administrative bail.
However, Justice Okon Abang, while delivering judgment in the suit, discountenanced the allegation on the ground that no evidence was adduced to prove the said allegation.
Abang also said that the EFCC committed no crime in arresting the applicant (Eze-Akudo).
The judge held that from the processes before him, it was evident that the EFCC granted the applicant administrative bail, but he could not meet the conditions attached to the said bail.
According to the judge, the fundamental rights enforcement application filed by the applicant was incompetent in that the EFCC was not in breach of the fundamental rights of the applicant, and so the agency could not be held liable of any breach in the performance of its statutory duties.
Abang dismissed the suit and awarded N15,000 cost in favour of the EFCC against the applicant.
The applicant, who is still in custody, was arrested on May 4, 2014 for allegedly committing economic crimes to the tune of N17 million.
The petition that led to the arrest of the applicant was written by Unity Bank over alleged funds transfer fraud.

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