A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday handed a N1 million fine on the EFCC over unlawful invasion of an Abuja-based company.
We gathered that the company, Fezel Nigeria Limited, located at Plot 792, Cadastral Zone Industrial Estate, Idu-Abuja was unlawfully invaded by officials of the anti-graft agency early this year without any justifiable reason.
In a judgment in the suit instituted against the EFCC, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the EFCC breached of the Constitutional rights of the plaintiff in the way and manner the company was invaded by fully armed officers.
Particularly, the Judge maintained that the anti-graft agency breached sections 36, 37, 40, 43 and 44 by sealing up the company premises without any just reason.
The court thereafter granted an order of injunction against the EFCC restraining it from disturbing, intimidating, harassing and arresting any staff or any worker of the company.
According to Justice Ekwo, the action of the anti-graft agency is clearly a violation of the rights of the plaintiff to own property as contained in section 43 of the 1999 Constitution.
The judge went ahead to impose a fine of N1 million naira against the EFCC to be paid to the plaintiff for the infringements on its Constitutional rights.
