A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, presided over by Justice D.U. Okorowo has awarded a sum of five million naira as damages against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for wrongfully parading a photographer named Nasiru Saidu Ali, Kozzo, as a fraudster.
On May 17, 2019, the plaintiff, Nasiru Saidu Ali, was arrested after EFCC operatives raided his home in Abuja.
The photographer was reportedly asleep when officials of the anti-graft agency stormed his house.
His picture and name alongside nine other suspected “Yahoo boys” were published on May 20, on the anti-graft agency’s Instagram page.
He was released after three days in detention, after his innocence was established but Ali dragged the anti-graft agency to court for criminal defamation of character.
The photographer, through his lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, demanded 100 million naira damages from the EFCC but after five years, the court, in a landmark judgment delivered on Friday, 22nd March, 2024, awarded 5 million naira damages against the EFCC and ordered the anti-graft agency to tender a public apology to the photographer.
“The Court deemed EFCC’s action as unconstitutional, as they violated Ali’s right to human dignity, encroached upon his privacy, and a disregard to the noble and fundamental principle of presumption of innocence to have posted his picture on their social media handles'.
"The sum of 5 million naira is hereby awarded in favour of the plaintiff against the defendant, in exemplary, punitive, and general damages against the EFCC".
Additionally, the EFCC was ordered to publicly apologise to the young photographer and also granted a perpetuated order against EFCC from arresting the photographer again, the judgement read in part.
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