A photographer, Nasiru Ali, is demanding N100 million as damages from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for “wrongly” parading him as an internet fraudsterYahoo boy.
Ali was arrested in the early hours of May 17, 2019, after EFCC operatives raided his home in Abuja.
The photographer was reportedly asleep when officials of the anti-graft agency stormed his house.
Subsequently, his picture and name alongside nine other people was published on May 20 on EFCC’s Instagram page.
In a petition dated May 30, 2019 and addressed to the acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, the photographer through his lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbensi, said he lost a N5 million contract over the incident.
Ali demanded for an “unreserved apology” for the “wrongful arrest” and “libellous publication.”
“That your good office publishes and tenders an unreserved apology for the wrongful arrest and unlawful detention as well as the libellous publication of our client for no just cause on all your online platforms and two other national newspapers,” the petition read.
“That you pay to our client the sum of one hundred million naira only (100. 000, 000.00) being minimal damages to assuage his already battered reputation.”
The photographer said should the EFCC fail to meet the conditions within seven days, he would go to court.