Court orders EFCC to apologise, pay ₦5m over ‘unlawful’ wanted notice on Dubai-based trader
In a judgment delivered at the Federal High Court, Kaduna, Justice H. Buhari held that the EFCC had overstepped its legal authority when it published Tijjani’s photograph.
Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been ordered to issue a public apology and pay ₦5 million in damages to Dubai-based businessman Alhaji Rabiu Tijjani for wrongfully declaring him wanted.
In a judgment delivered at the Federal High Court, Kaduna, Justice H. Buhari held that the EFCC had overstepped its legal authority when it published Tijjani’s photograph and personal details on its website without first obtaining a valid court order authorizing such publication.
The judge ruled that the move breached Tijjani’s constitutionally protected rights.
Tijjani, a Kano-born gold dealer who lives in Dubai, had sued both the EFCC and businessman Ifeanyi Ezeokoli in a fundamental rights action arising from a disputed multimillion-dollar gold transaction dating back to 2022.
Court documents show that the parties initially agreed that Tijjani had been overpaid by ₦26 million, which they reconciled.
A subsequent audit, however, allegedly revealed a further discrepancy of more than $2 million in Tijjani’s favor.
He then reported the matter to the Department of State Services (DSS). Both sides submitted documents and participated in an independent audit process while the DSS investigation was ongoing.
During this period, Ezeokoli petitioned the EFCC. Tijjani told the court that the EFCC only contacted him once via WhatsApp, after which he sent a representative to engage with the Commission.
Justice Buhari concluded that the Commission’s publication of Tijjani’s details was not backed by proper legal procedure and therefore violated his fundamental rights.
The court consequently:
Declared the EFCC’s “wanted” notice unlawful and unconstitutional;
Ordered the Commission to publish a public apology to Tijjani; and
Awarded ₦5 million in damages against the EFCC.
The ruling is being seen by legal analysts as a pointed reminder that even Nigeria’s most powerful investigative bodies must strictly adhere to due process when deploying high-impact enforcement tools such as “wanted” notices in cross-border commercial disputes.
