Judge Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos State has ordered the release of Miss Oluwateniola Omidiji, a Babcock University student, allegedly detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a N100m debt owed by her mother.
The judge gave the order following an application for the enforcement of her fundamental human rights brought by Mr Emeka Chijioke (SAN), her lawyer, on Friday.
Omidiji, 19, had already spent 11 days in EFCC custody.
Justice Bogoro ruled: “I have considered the ex parte application, the extant laws under which the application was brought, and the affidavit supporting the application…, I hereby grant the reliefs sought.”
EFCC operatives had arrested Omidiji a 300 Level student of Babcock University on the school premises on April 26, 2024, while she was writing exams.
She was subsequently detained at the agency’s facility at Ikoyi, Lagos, where she was kept until Justice Bogoro’s order was issued on Friday, May 3.
In the fundamental rights suit marked FHC/L/CS/759/224, Omidiji alleged that she was taken hostage by EFCC operatives over a debt which one Mr Charles Nwoko alleged that her mother owed.
Nwoko, who was said to have invested the sum of N100m into Mrs Omidiji’s business sometime in 2020, came after Oluwateniola Omidiji for the sum and the interest since her mother, his joint venture partner, was out of Nigeria.
During the investigation, EFCC discovered that four persons were named directors in a company called Elisto Global Services Limited, which Mrs Omidiji allegedly used to receive money from Mr Nwoko.
The directors are the applicant’s mother; the alleged creditor, Nwoko; the applicant’s brother and the applicant.
EFCC, in its defence in court, maintained that having been named as a director of the company, the 19-year-old Omidiji should answer for her mother’s presumed wrongs in the joint venture with Mr Nwoko.
But in the application to enforce her fundamental rights filed by her lawyer, Omidiji contended that she was only a 16-year-old minor when her mother entered into a partnership with Mr Nwoko and she knew nothing about it.
She said it was wrong for the EFCC to hold her hostage over a wrong alleged to have been done by her mother.
She asserted that the transaction was a civil matter and requested the court to order the EFCC to leave her out of the case.
She also asked to court to order the EFCC to pay her N10m as damages for the violation of her fundamental rights to human dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement.
Justice Bogoro, following the order to release the student, adjourned further hearing in the suit till May 21.
