The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested and detained a third year Nursing student of Babcock University Ilishan-Remo, Miss Oluwateniola Omidiji over an alleged debt owed by her mother, Mrs Omoniyi Omidiji.
Miss Omidiji, aged 19, was taken from the school’s premises on 26th April, 2024 by operatives of the Commission from Lagos, over a business transaction entered into in 2020 by her mother, who is a widow.
In a fundamental rights action suit in FHC/L/CS/759/224, filed in the Federal High Court, Lagos, Miss Omidiji alleged that she was taken hostage by EFCC operatives over a debt which one Mr. Charles Nwoko alleged that her mother owed.
Mr. Nwoko, who said he invested the sum of N100,000,000 into Mrs. Omidiji’s business sometime in 2020 came after Oluwateniola for the sum and the interest since her mother, his joint venture partner, is out of Nigeria.
During investigation, EFCC discovered that four persons were named directors in a company called Elisto Global Services Limited, which Mrs. Omidiji allegedly used to receive the money from Mr. Nwoko. They are the Applicant’s mother; the alleged creditor, Mr. Nwoko; the Applicant’s brother and the Applicant. Oluwateniola has cried out to the Court for relief after her school was stormed last Friday by EFCC operatives while she was writing exams. They laid siege to the school and took her away. She has not granted bail as at Friday, May 3, 2024.
From the court papers sighted, EFCC is said to have maintained that having been named by her mother as a director of Elisto, the 19-year-old Oluwateniola should answer for her mother’s presumed wrongs in the joint venture with Mr. Nwoko. Oluwateniola has been detained at EFCC’s facility at Ikoyi, until EFCC gets her mother’s attention. Other students have since continued with their exams.
But in the application to enforce her fundamental rights filed by her lawyer Chijioke Emeka, SAN of Auxano Law, Oluwateniola contends that she was only a 16-year-old minor when her mother entered into partnership with Mr. Nwoko and she knows nothing about it. She contends that it is wrong for the EFCC to hold her hostage over a wrong alleged to have been done by her mother. He further contends that the transaction is a civil matter and asked the Court to order the EFCC to leave her out of the issue and pay her N10,000,000 as damages for the violation of her fundamental rights to human dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.
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