Nigerian Court Imposes Heavy Fine on EFCC for Illegal Social Media Exposure of Suspect

A Federal High Court in Abuja has imposed a N5 million penalty on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the premature social media exposure of Nasiru Saidu Ali, a suspect under investigation.

This decision came after human rights lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi and his team at Law Corridor challenged the EFCC’s practice of revealing the identities of suspects on social media platforms before their guilt had been established in court.

Olajengbesi criticized the EFCC’s approach as an abuse of power, arguing that it undermines the presumption of innocence, a fundamental principle of justice. He highlighted the case of Nasiru Saidu Ali, a young photographer from Nasarawa State, whose photograph was widely shared by the EFCC across its social media channels, effectively branding him a criminal without a court verdict.

The court, led by Honorable Justice Okoro, found the EFCC’s actions to be unconstitutional, violating Ali’s right to the presumption of innocence. As a result, the court awarded N5 million in damages to Ali for the infringement of his rights and ordered the EFCC to publicly apologize.

In a personal reflection, Olajengbesi shared that the ruling coincided with his wedding anniversary, offering a moment of introspection on the challenges and growth he has experienced in his marriage to another lawyer.