In a landmark ruling, the Federal High Court in Warri has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to publicly apologize to Mr. Julius Oluwafunmisho Okedele for wrongfully including his name in a financial fraud case.
The case, filed under charge number FHC/WR/110C/2019 on December 2, 2019, saw the EFCC accuse Akegor Godbless Omamuyovwi and two other individuals (tried in absentia) of cybercrime and internet fraud. Although the main suspect, Omamuyovwi, was on trial, Mr. Okedele was unknowingly included in the case.
A bureau de change operator, Mr. Okedele had conducted foreign exchange transactions with Omamuyovwi between 2018 and 2019, but these dealings had nothing to do with cybercrime. The EFCC invited Mr. Okedele for questioning in December 2019, and he fully cooperated, providing evidence that exonerated him from any wrongdoing. The agency concluded there was no reason to charge him and released him from further inquiry.
Despite this, the EFCC continued to list him as a fugitive in the case, publishing his name alongside the charges and conviction of Omamuyovwi. This publication, without notifying Mr. Okedele, severely damaged his reputation, leading to public defamation and personal losses, including visa rejections from Canada and the United States, as he was mistakenly labeled a fraudster.
In a decisive judgment on January 31, 2025, the Federal High Court ruled in favor of Mr. Okedele, declaring his right to a fair hearing had been violated. The court struck his name from the charge sheet and ordered the EFCC to issue a public apology in a major national newspaper within 10 days. The agency was also required to provide proof of the publication to the court.
Despite the court’s ruling, the EFCC has yet to comply with the order, leaving Mr. Okedele and his family grappling with the ongoing consequences of the erroneous charges.
