The Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a fundamental rights suit brought before it against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Okuneye Idris popularly called Bobrisky, alleging breach of rights by the Commission and requesting N200 million damages.
The court held that Bobrisky’s claims of encroachment on his rights lacked merit after failing to provide credible evidence to justify the reliefs he seeks.
In a judgment delivered yesterday, Justice Alexander Owoeye, explained that one of the reliefs sought by the applicant was “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondents” from harassing, 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 N200 million against the EFCC as damages he allegedly suffered from the Commission during 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”.
Also, the judge turned down his request to award damage against the anti-graft agency.
Bobrisky had dragged both the EFCC and the National Assembly before the court and all the reliefs he sought were thrown out. He was originally arrested by the EFCC on April 4, 2024, by the Commission for Naira abuse. His arrest eventually led to his six-month conviction by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on April 12, 2024.
