In a landmark ruling, the Federal High Court sitting in Warri has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to issue a public apology to Julius Oluwafunmisho Okedele, a Bureau de Change operator, after mistakenly implicating him in a financial fraud case.
The ruling comes after a protracted legal battle where Okedele was wrongly named in a cybercrime case and his reputation severely tarnished by the EFCC’s actions.
The case began with the filing of a suit (Charge No. FHC/WR/110C/2019) on December 2, 2019, in which the EFCC accused Akegor Godbless Omamuyovwi and two other individuals of cybercrimes and internet fraud. Okedele’s name was added to the charge sheet as a suspect, despite the fact that he had no connection to the alleged crimes.
Okedele, who had engaged in legitimate foreign exchange transactions with Omamuyovwi between 2018 and 2019, was never informed by the EFCC that charges had been filed against him.
After being invited by the EFCC for questioning in December 2019, Okedele fully cooperated with the investigation, providing valuable information about his business dealings, all of which were unrelated to any criminal activity.
The EFCC eventually cleared him of any wrongdoing and released him from further inquiry by December 10, 2019.
However, unbeknownst to Okedele, the EFCC proceeded with prosecuting him in absentia, listing him as a fugitive on the charge sheet without notifying him or providing any opportunity for his defense.
The EFCC further exacerbated the situation by publicly publishing the charge sheet and court ruling on its website, despite Okedele never having been officially served with the charges. This publication led to widespread defamation, with Okedele being erroneously branded a fraudster and fugitive.
The reputational damage was immediate, affecting both his personal and professional life, including the denial of entry visas by the Canadian and United States embassies in Nigeria.
In a significant legal victory, the Federal High Court ruled on January 31, 2025, in Suit Nos: FHC/WR/CS/104/2024, that Okedele’s constitutional right to a fair hearing had been violated. The Court struck his name from the charge sheet and annulled the earlier judgment.
The Court further directed the EFCC to issue a public apology to Okedele in a widely circulated national newspaper, retracting all criminal allegations made against him within 10 days of the judgment and providing proof of the publication to the Court.
Despite the ruling, there has been no indication that the EFCC has complied with the Court’s order. The agency’s failure to act on the court’s directive continues to leave Okedele and his family grappling with the lingering consequences of the wrongful accusations.
The certified true copy of the court judgment has been delivered to the EFCC’s offices in Benin and Abuja. As the days pass, it remains to be seen whether the EFCC will fulfill its legal obligation to publicly apologize, or if the case will take another twist in the ongoing saga.
