Court throws out Bobrisky’s N200m rights suit against EFCC

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has dismissed a N200m suit by Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju (a.k.a Bobrisky), alleging breach of his rights by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, the trial judge, Justice Alexander Owoeye held that Bobrisky’s claims of encroachment of his rights lacked merit with no credible evidence to justify the reliefs he sought from the court.

Bobrisky had requested for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from harassing or declaring him wanted, arresting or detaining him “whether by themselves, their officers, servants, agents…”.

In another relief, Bobrisky prayed the court to award the sum of N200million against the EFCC as damages he allegedly suffered from the activities of the Commission regarding his arrest and trial.

After evaluating all the reliefs he sought, Justice Owoeye ruled that “having evaluated the evidence placed before this court by the applicant, it is evident that the applicant has failed to provide credible evidence to justify the award of the declaratory and injunctive reliefs sought by him”.

The judge further stated that, “in the final analysis, I hold the claims of violation of fundamental rights against the 1st and 2nd respondents were not made out of the affidavit evidence placed before this court.

“The claim of the applicant against the 1st to the 2nd respondents hereby lacks merit and is liable to be dismissed. It is accordingly dismissed”.

The judge also refused to award any damages against the EFCC.

It would be recalled that Bobrisky was originally arrested by the EFCC on April 4, 2024, by the Commission for Naira abuse.

His arrest eventually led to his six months conviction by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on April 12, 2024.

He had while standing trial dragged both the EFCC and the National Assembly to the court for rights abuse.

But all the reliefs he sought were thrown out.