Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, in Laagos has delivered judgment in a suit filed by Mr. Ufoma Immanuel challenging the publication of a “wanted” notice issued against him in November 2025.
The court held that the publication was unlawful and subsequently ordered its retraction.
In the action, Mr. Immanuel contended that the notice was published at a time when related issues were already pending before a court of competent jurisdiction. The court concluded that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s action was in flagrant disobedience of the subsisting order of the FCT High Court and contrary to the clear provisions of the ACJA.
It declared that the commission lacks the statutory power to restrain the applicant’s fundamental rights through its publication of November 19, 2025, in the face of a subsisting court order, and that the publication declaring him wanted amounted to an infringement of his constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.
Justice Dipeolu in the judgement ordered the Commission to retract and withdraw all publications declaring Immanuel wanted and to replace them with a public notice retracting the declaration.
The commission was also directed to pay N5 million as compensation for the infringement of his rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement and dignity.
The court’s decision reinforces the obligation of authorities to comply with subsisting court processes and to act within the bounds of constitutional and statutory safeguards in the course of enforcement actions.
With the judgment delivered, the matter stands concluded subject to compliance with the Court’s orders.
