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EFCC slammed with N10m damages for declaring pastor, wife wanted without court order
A Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) must pay damages of N10 million to Pastor Oyinmiebi Biribena and his wife, Pastor Beatrice Biribena, for declaring them wanted without a valid court order. Pastor Biribena oversees the Christ Embassy Church in Kumasi, Ghana.
The court, presided over by Justice Dashen, made this declaration in response to a lawsuit (No. FHC/YNG/CS/132/2022) filed by the Biribenas seeking the protection of their fundamental human rights against EFCC’s actions.
Justice Dashen found EFCC’s declaration of the Biribenas as wanted on June 8, 2022, without a valid court order to be unjust, unlawful, and unconstitutional. He ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and against the anti-graft agency.
The court also declared EFCC’s newspaper publication on June 8, 2022, announcing the Biribenas as wanted without a valid court order to be a violation of their fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, right to private and family life, and dignity of the human person, as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
Justice Dashen ordered EFCC to publicly apologize to the Biribenas for the unlawful publication and restrained EFCC from inviting, harassing, arresting, and detaining them pending the resolution of another suit (No. FHC/YNG/CS/125/2022) involving Bliss Multinational Perfections Limited versus EFCC.
In another case (Bliss Multinational Perfections Limited and Oyinmiebi Biribena versus EFCC), Justice Dashen granted declarations in favor of the plaintiffs against EFCC. The court declared that disputes between members of Baraza Multipurpose Cooperative Society, arising from transactions related to the cooperative society’s registered business objects, should be reported to the registrar and director of the Bureau of Cooperative Societies in Bayelsa State before resorting to any security agency or court.
Furthermore, the court ruled that EFCC is not authorized to intervene in disputes arising from civil transactions related to the registered business objects of cooperative societies and cannot seize properties that are not proceeds of crime.
Consequently, Justice Dashen deemed EFCC’s seizure and sealing of properties belonging to Bliss Multinational Perfections Limited and Oyinmiebi Biribena as wrongful and unlawful.
The court also declared EFCC’s instructions to Biribena’s bankers to freeze his bank account due to disputes from civil transactions with Baraza Multipurpose Cooperative Society as wrongful and unlawful.
As a result of these rulings, Justice Dashen ordered EFCC to refrain from inviting, arresting, detaining, and harassing the plaintiffs over disputes arising from transactions with Baraza Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
However, instead of the N100 million requested by the plaintiffs, the court awarded the sum of N10 million as exemplary damages against EFCC.
Dangote Refinery has announced that it will need to export 95-97 percent of its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) due to low interest from Nigerian marketers. The refinery, which processes 650,000 barrels per day, revealed that only 3 to 5 percent of petrol marketers are purchasing its fuel.
Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, shared these details during an X Space session hosted by Nairametrics on Wednesday. He highlighted the challenges facing both the Dangote Refinery and Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Edwin explained, “I’m selling 2 to 3 percent to small traders who are willing to buy, while the remaining 95 to 97 percent has to be exported,” referring to the local sales of the refinery’s products.
This situation arises as the NNPCL’s deadline for adjusting the Dangote Refinery’s fuel distribution approaches without a clear plan in sight. It is worth noting that while Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, has announced the refinery’s initial petrol rollout, its distribution to marketers is contingent upon NNPCL’s decisions.
The final sixteen teams for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia have been determined following the conclusion of the group stage.
In recent matches, Ghana triumphed over New Zealand with a score of 3-1, and Japan secured a 2-0 victory against Austria.
As a result, Japan has advanced to the Round of 16, joining the other 15 teams in this knockout stage.
The Round of 16 matches are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
The full lineup for the Round of 16 is as follows:
- Spain vs Canada
- Brazil vs Cameroon
- Colombia vs South Korea
- Mexico vs USA
- North Korea vs Austria
- Germany vs Argentina
- Netherlands vs France
- Japan vs Nigeria
The Nigerian Army has refuted claims of widespread resignations among its soldiers due to issues like corruption and low morale.
In a statement, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, dismissed these reports as unfounded.
A news outlet had alleged that numerous Nigerian soldiers were resigning because of corruption and low morale. However, the statement condemned these allegations as misleading and a deliberate attempt to create discontent and undermine the Nigerian Army’s reputation and the dedication of its personnel.
Major General Nwachukwu clarified that, similar to other military organizations worldwide, service in the Nigerian Army is voluntary rather than mandatory. This means that personnel have the freedom to resign following established procedures.
He explained that the resignation process allows personnel to prepare and manage their entitlements, including pensions and gratuities, as outlined in the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service (Officers/Soldiers).
Contrary to the report’s implications, the statement emphasized that Nigerian Army personnel are highly motivated, and their welfare is a priority under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.
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