Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to issue a public apology to Dubai-based businessman, Alhaji Rabiu Tijjani, over his unlawful declaration as a wanted person.
Gatekeepers News reports that the court also awarded ₦5 million in damages against EFCC.
Justice H. Buhari, while delivering judgment, ruled that the commission acted beyond its legal powers by publishing Tijjani’s photograph and personal details on its official website without obtaining a valid court order.
The judge said, “The action of the first respondent in declaring the applicant wanted without following due process is unlawful, unconstitutional, and a violation of his fundamental rights.”
“A mere arrest warrant issued by a Magistrate’s Court does not empower the EFCC to publicly brand a citizen as wanted.”
Tijjani, a Kano-born gold merchant based in Dubai, had approached the court through a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the EFCC and businessman Ifeanyi Ezeokoli. The dispute stemmed from a multimillion-dollar gold transaction that began in 2022.
Court records showed that both parties initially resolved an overpayment of ₦26 million, but a later audit allegedly revealed another discrepancy of over $2 million in Tijjani’s favour.
Tijjani reported the issue to the Department of State Services, where both sides submitted documents and engaged independent auditors while investigations were ongoing.
Despite the ongoing DSS inquiry, Ezeokoli later petitioned the EFCC. Tijjani told the court that the commission contacted him only once through WhatsApp, after which he sent a representative.
He said, “At no time after that single communication was I invited again. Yet the EFCC proceeded to publish me as a wanted person, damaging my reputation internationally.”
Justice Buhari faulted EFCC’s handling of the matter, stressing that although the commission has the power to declare suspects wanted, such authority must be exercised strictly in line with the law.
The judge said, “The Commission cannot unilaterally declare a person wanted over a commercial dispute, especially when another security agency is already seized of the matter”, warning that investigative bodies should not be used as tools for the settlement of purely civil or commercial disagreements.
The court further held that law enforcement agencies must not be deployed to recover debts or apply pressure in business disputes, relying on several appellate court decisions.
In his ruling, the judge ordered that the publication of Tijjani’s details be removed from the EFCC’s website, directed the commission to issue a public apology, and awarded ₦5 million in damages.
Although Tijjani had asked for ₦1.5 billion and other reliefs, the court granted only part of his claims.
Reacting to the judgment through his lawyer, Tijjani described the ruling as a victory for justice and a reminder that agencies must not misuse their powers.
