A financial consultant based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Mr Ubong Williams, has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to court and is demanding N20m as compensation for the alleged violation of his rights by the anti-graft agency.
Williams filed the suit marked FHC/PH/FHR/240/2020 before a vacation judge, Justice Oshomo of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, and also secured an interim injunction restraining the EFCC from taking further action against him pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Williams prayed the court to declare his arrest and detention by the EFCC on September 2, 2020, as a violation of his fundamental rights as well a declaration that the harassment, intimidation, psychological torture and incessant invitations by the agency were an infringement on his rights as provided for in Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The applicant further prayed the court to restrain the anti-graft agency from further breaking into his home without lawful justification and also tender an unreserved apology to him for violating his fundamental rights and publish same in a national newspaper.
It was gathered that the applicant’s firm, Arkway Project Limited, was engaged as a payment consultant by Akwa Ibom State Government in respect of property demolished for the purpose of developing infrastructure in the state.
However, trouble started when an estate surveyor and valuer, Godwin Timothy, sent a petition to the EFCC alleging that the 10 per cent fee due to independent estate valuers was fraudulently diverted by Williams and the erstwhile Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyang-Eyen.
