The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been accused of allowing itself to be used to intimidate, harass, ridicule and defame Pastor Sunday Omoniyi Enikuomehin, the owner of a private school in Ikorodu, Lagos.
Counsel to the school owner, Dr Benson Enikuomehin of Benson Enikuomehin & Co (Shalom Chambers), stated this in a letter to one Mrs. Olabisi Victoria Olaiya who was accused of being the perpetrator of the act.
The letter was addressed to Mrs Olaiya, via Ronke Adekoya & Co of Suite SA, Ground Floor, East Pavilion, Opp. Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square Complex, Onikan, Lagos State.
Pastor Enikuomehin is the proprietor of Goodwill Private Schools, Ikorodu, Lagos which EFCC operatives were alleged to have illegally invaded and sealed off last week.
Recall that a letter was written on 27 February, 2025 by the counsel to Pastor Enikuomehin and Goodwill and addressed to the Registrar, Court 10, Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos to inform the court of the illegality allegedly perpetrated by operatives of the anti-graft agency.
Armed EFCC operatives were seen in video clips that have gone viral invading the school while the students were in their various classrooms; academic activities were disrupted due to the pandemonium that followed the invasion.
In the latest letter, Mrs. Olabisi Victoria Olaiya was alleged to have used the EFCC to intimidate, embarrass and harass Pastor Enikuomehin and Goodwill Private Schools, Ikorodu, Lagos.
Pastor Enikuomehin, Goodwill Private Schools’ innocence
The letter, Ref: BE/SC/LA/MOVO/SOE-001/2025, dated 4 March, 2025, was titled “Procurement And Instigation Of The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) To Harass, Intimidate, Defame And Ridicule Pastor Sunday Omoniyi Enikuomehin And Goodwill Private Schools Limited, Ikorodu, Lagos.”
Dr Enikuomehin further stated in the letter: “We are solicitors to Pastor Sunday Omoniyi Enikuomehin and Goodwill Private Schools Limited (hereinafter called “our clients”) on whose express instructions we address this letter to you as a matter of urgency.
“Our brief is that sometime on the 27th day of November, 2023, you hired the services of Aderonke Adekoya-Ogunjobi (Esq.) to write a petition to the Chairman of EFCC against First City Monument Bank (FCMB) whom you alleged defrauded you under false pretenses by obtaining the sum of ₦90 million for a sale of landed property belonging to our clients.
“You mentioned in the said petition that the property in question belongs to Goodwill School, along Shagamu Road, in Ikorodu.
“You narrated the transaction you had with FCMB which led to the execution of a Deed of Assignment between yourself and FCMB in respect of the alleged property.
“According to the petition, you alleged that the bank failed to hand over the Deed of Assignment and necessary documents executed after the bank had collected money from you for about four months.
“You went further to say ‘that the bank is on a mission and clear intent to cheat our client and defraud her of her possessions in which your good office is strongly against’.
“You therefore, urged the EFCC “to examine the circumstances concerning this case and bring justice to play in this matter”. A copy of the said petition is herewith attached.
“It is obvious both on the surface and intent of your petition that our clients were not the ones that took ₦90 million from you under any false pretense and that your petition was not directed against them.
“In fact, you had no transaction whatsoever with our clients, let alone being defrauded by them. Your petition was, stricto sensu, against the FCMB.
“For clarity of words, our clients were not involved in your alleged transaction with FCMB and no money whatsoever or alleged ₦90 million was not paid to them.”
Grounds for accusation
The solicitor to Pastor Enikuomehin and Goodwill Private Schools added that, “in a bizarre twist of events and in order for you to take over our clients’ property by hook or crook, you procured the services of the EFCC to tag the property known and described as the U-Shaped 2-Storey Building located at Aiyegbami Street, Ikorodu, Lagos State as proceeds of crime and unlawful activity.
“You have used whatever connections you have with the EFCC to label our clients as persons who are fraudulent, shady in character and who have used proceeds of criminality to construct the U-shaped 2-storey building located at Aiyegbami Street, Eyitta, Ikorodu, Lagos State.
“You did all these so that the Federal Government will take over the property from our clients and forfeit same to you. This is the height of wickedness the heart of human can conceive!”
He alleged that Mrs Olaiya prompted and goaded the EFCC to procure forfeiture orders from the court by reason of suppression of fact and misrepresentation of fact so as to willy-nilly take over the property of his client (Pastor Enikuomehin).
“The ulterior motive action you set in motion has now led to the disruption of academic activities in the school; students and teachers have been harassed, intimidated and embarrassed and the hitherto boisterous academic institution has now been occupied and sealed up by the EFCC: waiting for your eventual take over.
“What is more, the proprietor of Goodwill Private School Limited, Pastor Sunday Omoniyi Enikuomehin, is now being portrayed to the whole world as a man of dishonest report; a criminal and a fraudulent person who engages in illegal activities to construct and build the Goodwill Private School edifice.
“You have set the Nigerian State in motion to traumatise, embarrass, shame, ridicule and humiliate our clients for your inordinate ambition to illegally take over our clients’ property.”
Dr Enikuomehin stated in the letter that he had the clear instruction of his clients to notify Mrs Olaiya that stringent legal steps will be taken against her for instigating the Nigerian State against his clients for no just cause.
“One would have thought that you will maintain your petition against the FCMB whom you alleged took ₦90 million from you for the purchase of our clients’ property.
“Why on earth would you leave FCMB alone and proceed to instigate and procure the EFCC to hunt and torment our clients for no just cause?
“What nexus does your complaint against the bank (FCMB) have to do with labelling our clients as criminals, using proceeds of crime to build Goodwill Private Schools property?
“Could your alleged ₦90 million paid to FCMB in 2023 be the proceeds of crime our clients allegedly used to construct the property that was commissioned as far back as 2004 (19 years before your money was ever paid to FCMB)?
“Your action is a sad commentary of oppression and intimidation!,” Dr Benson Enikuomehin declared in the letter.
Demand for Letter of Apology, ₦1.5Bn Compensation
He therefore requested Mrs Olaiya to write an “UNQUALIFIED LETTER OF APOLOGY to our clients, (through this Law Firm) which shall be published in, at least, three national newspapers for maliciously procuring the EFCC to instigate the Nigerian State against our clients and for subjecting our clients to trauma, shame, ignominy, ridicule, embarrassment, public opprobrium, etc.
“It is also the demand of our clients that you will pay the sum of ₦1.5 billion as compensation for the harm, injury, ridicule, embarrassment, public opprobrium, shame, trauma you have caused them by this untoward and reprehensible conduct.
“Take notice that upon your failure, refusal and neglect to meet the demands made on you within the next seven days, our clear instruction is to take appropriate and stringent legal actions against you in the court of law.
“You are at liberty to downplay, ignore and treat the issues raised herein with a hand of levity. We assure you that the consequences will be dire!,” Omolade Ebiwanno Esq stated in the letter on behalf of Dr Benson Enikuomehin.
