Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has filed a lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly threatening to arrest, detain, and prosecute him after his term as governor.
Represented by his lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, Sanwo-Olu submitted the fundamental rights enforcement suit to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
During the case’s preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Ozurumba informed the court that an updated originating summons had replaced the earlier one and had been served to the EFCC.
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However, EFCC’s lawyer, Hadiza Afegbua, claimed she had not seen the documents, and the judge postponed the matter to November 11 for further hearing.
In his original filing (case no. FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024, dated June 6), Sanwo-Olu raised seven questions and sought 11 declarations.
He requested a declaration of his right, under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, to privacy and family life, both during and after holding public office.
He also sought confirmation that he has the right to own and manage property, including bank accounts, under Sections 43 and 44(1) of the Constitution, without interference during or after his term.
Sanwo-Olu argued that EFCC’s threat of investigation, arrest, and detention during his tenure violates his constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement under Sections 35(1) & (4) and 41(1).
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He claimed that the alleged EFCC harassment, instigated by his political rivals, amounts to executive overreach and misuse of public office, infringing on his rights to liberty, fair hearing, and equal protection under both Nigerian law and the African Charter on Human & Peoples’ Rights.
The governor requested the court to prevent the EFCC from detaining, prosecuting, or freezing his assets or those of his family members due to politically motivated allegations.
He also sought orders prohibiting the EFCC from inviting, arresting, or interrogating him over his tenure.
In a supporting affidavit, Martha Kanu, a litigation secretary at the governor’s law firm, alleged that the EFCC was pressuring Sanwo-Olu’s aides and contractors to give incriminating statements.
Kanu claimed that political opponents, in collaboration with some EFCC officials, were fabricating corruption allegations to implicate Sanwo-Olu.
Sanwo-Olu, who began his second term on May 29, 2023, filed the suit as a preemptive measure against what he claims is a politically driven campaign by the EFCC to target him upon leaving office.
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