A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has thrown out a ₦5 billion fundamental rights suit filed by 110 suspected internet fraudsters against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), declaring that the case had no merit.
Justice James Omotosho, who presided over the matter, ruled that the applicants failed to provide sufficient evidence that they were unlawfully detained by the anti-graft agency.
The group—comprising both Nigerians and four Chinese nationals—was arrested on January 9 at a property in Abuja’s Katampe District.
According to EFCC’s statement, the arrests were based on intelligence linking the suspects to internet fraud and a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme targeting victims in the United Kingdom.
The EFCC alleged that the Chinese nationals had recruited Nigerians into the operation, which was coordinated in Nigeria using VPNs to mask their identities while posing as hotel operators overseas.
Following their arrest, the group, through senior advocate Ishaka Dikko, filed a suit alleging gross violations of their constitutional rights.
They claimed the EFCC infringed on their rights to dignity, personal liberty, and fair hearing as guaranteed under Sections 34, 35, and 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
They also challenged the seizure of their passports, calling it illegal.
The applicants insisted their detention between January 9 and 16 exceeded constitutional limits and sought ₦5 billion in damages.
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In its defense, the EFCC presented evidence that it had secured a lawful remand order on January 10, later extended on January 24.
Justice Omotosho agreed, stating the detention was lawful, particularly given the serious nature of the allegations, which he said posed “a threat to national security.”
The judge added that the EFCC had granted administrative bail, which the suspects failed to meet, absolving the Commission of blame for their continued detention.
He dismissed the suit and advised the applicants to face the allegations leveled against them rather than seek to deflect accountability through litigation.
Those named in the suit include Chinese nationals Zhang Xiaowen, Liu Zhiwei, Chen Yeqiu, and Lan Shunbin, as well as over 100 Nigerian co-applicants such as Abubakar Hassan, Olamide Olatoye, and Rachel Habila.
The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, was also named as a respondent in the lawsuit.
This ruling marks another major win for the EFCC in its ongoing battle against cybercrime and fraudulent investment schemes operating within Nigeria.