A popular businessman based in Benin the Edo State capital, Mr. Romeo Shiko has filed a suit against the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and two officials of the Benin Zonal Office of the commission for N100 million over an alleged unlawful detention and obnoxious bail conditions. Shiko, sought among other reliefs, that his unlawful detention since, January 21, 2019 till date and his prior arrest and unlawful detention for 16 days in July, 2017, without justifiable cause and without a complaint from any nominal complainant negates his fundamental rights. The Suit No. FHC /B/ CS/12/19: Shiko Romeo v. the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and 2 ors., was filed on Friday February 1, 2019, by his Counsel, Ogbusua Rose Oleh, of Douglas Ogbankwa & Co. at the Federal High Court, Benin.
The applicant, who has been in EFCC Benin Zonal Office custody since January 21 2019 till the suit was filed on February 1, 2019, stated in his depositions through his wife, Mrs Rita Shiko ,and the argument of his Counsel, that he was arrested and unlawfully detained in July, 2017 for 16 days without a complainant in the matter and he has been reporting and signing documents at the EFCC Benin Zonal monthly since then . He stated that his detention is outside the constitutional acceptable threshold of 24 hours as provided for by Section Section 35 (1) and 5 (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ,1999 (As Amended ) and Section 31 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
