A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and 16 others, from inviting, interrogating, harassing, arresting or detaining a retired Federal High Court Judge, Gladys Olotu, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application before it.
The granting of the order was sequel to a Motion Ex parte by the applicant on the various issues raised in her application.The retired Judge had approached the Abuja Federal High Court for the enforcement of her fundamental rights.
Justice A.F.A Ademola also directed all the respondents to stay all actions or matters relating to, or connected with the facts on the case.
Other Respondents in the suit are the Director, State Security Services (SSS), Inspector General of Police, Code of Conduct Bureau, Centre for NetWork Against Corruption, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, National Judicial Council, Hon. Justice S.M.A Belgore and Chief Gabriel Igbinedion.
The Respondents also include Ponticelli Nig. Ltd; Stolt Offshore Services S.A; The Vessel M.V. THEO, owners of the vessel, M.V.THEO. ELF NIg. Petroleum Nig. Ltd. ABC MARITIME AG, The Vessel MV LARA and the Vessel MV KRYSIA.
In the suit filed by her counsel, Chief Okey Obikeze, Olotu is seeking, among other reliefs, a declaration by the court that threat of victimization, harassment, intimidation, arrest and detention by the 7th to 18th Respondents using the machineries of all or any of the other respondents is vindictive, malicious, unwarranted, high-headedness, unreasonable and a gross violation of her fundamental rights as protected under Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
She also want the court to declare that her arrest, interrogation and detention by the 1st Respondent at its office at Abuja from about 10am to 4pm on Tuesday, 18, March 2014 is unreasonable, unwarranted, vindictive, arbitrary and amounts to a flagrant infringement of her fundamental right to liberty as enshrined under Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Furthermore, the plaintive also seeks: “a declaration that the resort to the use of the offices of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents or any other agencies/agents of the Federal Government of Nigeria to pursue, intimidate, harass, victimize, arrest and or detain her on account of her seeking redress at the Federal High Court Abuja by way of the prerogative orders of Certiorari and prohibition against the said 7th and 8th respondents and four others in Suit No, FHC/ABJ/C5/169/2014 for the reasons contained in the said action is wrongful, illegal, unconstitutional and a breach of her rights to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended”
“An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the 6th to 18th respondents either by themselves, servants, agents, officers, privies or any person deriving powers from or through them from using the machineries of any or all of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or the 5th respondents in inviting, interrogating, harassing, intimidating, arresting or and detaining the applicant in any matter relating to or connected with the facts of her application”
“An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents either by themselves, servants, agents officers of privies from inviting, interrogating , arresting or and detaining the applicant in any matter relating to or connected with the facts of this applications.
