{"id":8168,"date":"2024-07-01T17:04:27","date_gmt":"2024-07-01T17:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/?p=8168"},"modified":"2024-07-01T19:55:37","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T19:55:37","slug":"goodwill-private-school-limited-takes-legal-action-against-efcc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/2024\/07\/01\/goodwill-private-school-limited-takes-legal-action-against-efcc\/","title":{"rendered":"Goodwill Private School Limited Takes Legal Action Against EFCC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Goodwill Private School’s legal team has issued a heartfelt petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the forceful invasion of its premises and the arrest of the school’s principal, Mrs. Olufemi-King Saidat Iyabode Abosede, and others during NECO exams.<\/p>\n

The school demanded immediate redress and made several requests, including an unqualified letter of apology, public apologies in national newspapers and on television, removal of the defamatory inscriptions on the school premises, and substantial monetary compensation of two billion naira.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It will be recalled that on May 17, 2024, EFCC officers, accompanied by armed policemen, raided Goodwill Private School in the midst of external examinations for SS3 students. The raid caused widespread panic among students and staff, and the officers vandalized the school walls with bold inscriptions declaring the property under EFCC investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The turmoil did not end there. On June 24, 2024, EFCC officers returned, arresting the school’s principal, Mrs. Olufemi-King Saidat Iyabode Abosede, during NECO exams. This second invasion prompted the school\u2019s principal counsel, Otunba (Dr.) Benson Enikuomehin, to intervene directly at the EFCC\u2019s Lagos office. A meeting with Mrs. Oni Deborah revealed a surprising twist: no petition had been filed against Goodwill Private School. Instead, a separate complaint involved the sale of the school’s property by FCMB to another party without proper documentation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read the full text of the petition below:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our Ref: BE\/SC\/LA\/GDW\/EFCC-0<\/span><\/span>0<\/span><\/span>1\/2024<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

June 28, 2024.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Executive Chairman<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Corporate Headquarters,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Plot 301\/302,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Institution and Research Cadastral District,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jabi, Abuja.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Sir,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IN<\/span><\/span>VASION OF GOODWILL PRIVATE SCHOOL<\/span><\/span>S<\/span><\/span>LIMITED AND HARRASMENT OF <\/span><\/span>THE <\/span><\/span>PROPRIETOR, PRINCIPAL, STAFF AND STUDENTS BY THE OPERATIVES OF THE EFCC IN <\/span><\/span>YOUR <\/span><\/span>LAGOS<\/span><\/span> OFFICE<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We are solicitors to the Goodwill Private School Limited, the proprietor, the principal, the staff and students (herein after call<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> \u201c<\/span><\/span>our client<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u201d)<\/span><\/span> on whose exp<\/span><\/span>ress <\/span><\/span>instructions we address this heart touching petition to your <\/span><\/span>exalted <\/span><\/span>office.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Goodwill Private School Limited located at <\/span><\/span>E<\/span><\/span>y<\/span><\/span>ita<\/span><\/span>Estate, <\/span><\/span>o<\/span><\/span>ff Sagamu Road, Ikorodu in Lagos State is one of the first private school<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> established in Ikorodu more than 30 years ago. Because of the high moral and educational standard<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>, the school is <\/span><\/span>revere<\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span> by all and sundry as a beacon of hope in educational sector in and around Lagos State. International students have also attended the school because of the standard it <\/span><\/span>exhibits<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Our brief is that<\/span><\/span> on the 8<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> of February, 2024, your Lagos office wrote to the proprietor of the school via its letter <\/span><\/span>referenced <\/span><\/span>CR: 3000\/EFCC\/LS\/TFS\/TA\/VOL.1\/015 requesting the proprietor to appear on the 14<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> February, 2024 for a case of fraud in which your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission was investigating the school<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> T<\/span><\/span>he letter was signed by<\/span><\/span> ACE Michael <\/span><\/span>Welkas<\/span><\/span>, FWC, Zonal Commander Lagos. <\/span><\/span>Copy of the letter of Invitation is attached and mark<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> A<\/span><\/span>nnexure A.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The proprietor<\/span><\/span> on the 14<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> February, 2024 as indicated in the letter of invitation<\/span><\/span> honored the invitation along <\/span><\/span>with <\/span><\/span>on<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span> of the <\/span><\/span>counsels<\/span><\/span> in <\/span><\/span>our<\/span><\/span> chambers<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> T<\/span><\/span>he first shocker that our client and the solicitor receive<\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span> was that the officer who was interrogating our client<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> one <\/span><\/span>Mr. Jonathan<\/span><\/span> bluntly refuse<\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span> to avail our client a copy of the petition <\/span><\/span>allegedly<\/span><\/span> written against our client which form<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> the basis of the invitation. Our client was threatened and <\/span><\/span>co<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>r<\/span><\/span>c<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> to submission not to request for the alleged petition against him. He was told that his insistence <\/span><\/span>i<\/span><\/span>n requesting<\/span><\/span> for the petition will lead to his detention.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He was question<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> on numerous <\/span><\/span>issues<\/span><\/span> bothering on the credit facilities granted to his school by the First City Monument Bank FCMB in 2013<\/span><\/span>. He was told that his school had been sold by the FCMB to a 3<\/span><\/span>rd<\/span><\/span> party and that he must summarily vacate the school with his staff<\/span><\/span> and<\/span><\/span> student<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> as urgently as possible.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Our client produced document<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> that show that the school and FCMB had a contractual relationship of credit facility which the school obtained from the FCMB<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> H<\/span><\/span>e told them that there was a mortgage <\/span><\/span>Deed<\/span><\/span>execute<\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span> in favour of the FCMB to secure the credit facility and that same has not been called in by the FCMB. Our client gave them correspondences between FCMB and the school.<\/span><\/span> Copies of the documents submitted are attached and marked Annexure B series<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On the 18<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> of March, 2024 around 1:29 <\/span><\/span>p.m<\/span><\/span> the Principal Counsel of our law firm, Otunba (Dr.) Benson Enikuomehin, FCPA put a call across to one Mr. Jonathan, a staff of your Commission on his telephone number 07068132331 and spoke for about 22 minutes<\/span><\/span> on the need to be cautious about the issues surrounding the school and the FCMB.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While these facts had been admitted by FCMB<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> and that negotiation<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> were ongoing between the school, his proprietor on one hand and the FCMB on the other hand<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> o<\/span><\/span>fficers of your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission on the <\/span><\/span>17<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> of May<\/span><\/span>, 2024<\/span><\/span> in a stink operation invaded the school and c<\/span><\/span>aused<\/span><\/span> pandemonium. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We must inform you <\/span><\/span>S<\/span><\/span>ir that at th<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span> time <\/span><\/span>this gestapo action was carried out by the operatives of the EFCC, <\/span><\/span>the SS3 student<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> were writing the<\/span><\/span>ir<\/span><\/span> external examination. The team led by one Mr. Jubril<\/span><\/span> came<\/span><\/span> with armed policemen <\/span><\/span>who <\/span><\/span>caused mayhem in the school and the serene environment. <\/span><\/span>The entire school was turned into chaos as teachers and students were running helter<\/span><\/span>–<\/span><\/span> skelter and scampering for safety<\/span><\/span>. In a menacing manner the officers then proceeded to write<\/span><\/span>VERY BOLD <\/span><\/span>inscription<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> on <\/span><\/span>the wall<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> of the school, <\/span><\/span>urging<\/span><\/span> p<\/span><\/span>arent<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>tudents, <\/span><\/span>t<\/span><\/span>eachers and staff of the school <\/span><\/span>to<\/span><\/span> refrain from the property because it was under EFCC investigation. <\/span><\/span>We attached as <\/span><\/span>Annexure <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span> series photographs of the inscription<\/span><\/span> written on the school wall, the commotion caused in the school and the video recording of the event that took place on that sad day<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As if the above were not enough, officers of your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission at the Lagos office again invaded the school on the 24<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> day of June, 2024 at about 12.00 o\u2019clock in the afternoon with armed policemen<\/span><\/span> to cause the arrest of the principal of the school, <\/span><\/span>Mrs. Olufemi-King, Saidat Iyabode Abosede<\/span><\/span> and whisk<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> her <\/span><\/span>away <\/span><\/span>to your <\/span><\/span>Lagos<\/span><\/span> office. Again, the serene educational environment was violated by the gestapo- menacing invasion of the college<\/span><\/span> by the operatives of the EFCC.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We must bring to your notice sir, that the student<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> of the college w<\/span><\/span>ere<\/span><\/span> again writing there NECO exams when this power show game was carried out by the officers of your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission. At this point, the principal counsel of our law firm had to intervene in the matter by going to your <\/span><\/span>Lagos<\/span><\/span> office and requesting for the reason <\/span><\/span>for <\/span><\/span>the constant invasion<\/span><\/span> and attack<\/span><\/span> of the college.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At the meeting held with one <\/span><\/span>Mrs. Oni Deborah<\/span><\/span> in your <\/span><\/span>Lagos<\/span><\/span> office on the 25<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> of June, 2024, it was found out that<\/span><\/span> no petition whatsoever was written against our clients: <\/span><\/span>that was<\/span><\/span> a woman wrote petition <\/span><\/span>to EFCC <\/span><\/span>against FCMB for selling our clients<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span> property to her without handing over <\/span><\/span>the <\/span><\/span>documents of transfer and the property<\/span><\/span> itself<\/span><\/span>. Our client<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> w<\/span><\/span>ere<\/span><\/span> not privy to this <\/span><\/span>sale <\/span><\/span>as there were <\/span><\/span>still <\/span><\/span>negotiations with FCMB on how to so<\/span><\/span>rt<\/span><\/span> out the <\/span><\/span>30-million-naira<\/span><\/span> loan and the interest<\/span><\/span>s that had <\/span><\/span>accrued thereon. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We wish to inform you sir that FCMB had not written to our client to call in the money for which<\/span><\/span> the bank as the mortgagee will exercise the power to sell<\/span><\/span>. This fact was acknowledged by the bank in the meeting held with your officer, Mrs. Oni Deborah on the 25<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span> of June, 2024 at your Lagos office.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The above scenario show<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> that your officer<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> exceeded the power conferred on them in coming to harass, intimidate and subjugate our client<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> by their <\/span><\/span>unilateral <\/span><\/span>power of <\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>proscribing<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span> the school<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> It must be noted that Goodwill Private School is a going concern<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> T<\/span><\/span>he school is not d<\/span><\/span>efunct.<\/span><\/span> T<\/span><\/span>he school did not<\/span><\/span>, and have never had<\/span><\/span> any issue whatsoever with the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> T<\/span><\/span>here were no reasonable cause<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> for officers of your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission to invade, cause the arrest of the principal in the glare of the students, parents and the community.<\/span><\/span> What is more, FCMB that our clients have contractual relationship with <\/span><\/span>DID NOT PETITION EFCC AGAINST OUR CLIENTS!<\/span><\/span> Whose interest was the EFCC protecting?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sir, it is common knowledge that in Lagos State<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>private school<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> are <\/span><\/span>in serious competitions amongst themselves.<\/span><\/span> Any negative report about any school will give the parent<\/span><\/span>s the latitude<\/span><\/span> to seek for other school<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>for their children and words. The inscription on the school premises to wit:<\/span><\/span> RESTRAIN ORDER EFCC, KEEP OFF, LAG\/15A\/17414\/2023 <\/span><\/span>is meant to jeopardize, harm, <\/span><\/span>annoy<\/span><\/span> and de<\/span><\/span>–<\/span><\/span>market Goodwill Private School Limited. It is an action taken in utmost bad faith with the intention to wipe off, extinguish and portray the school as an institution that parents must not send their children and words.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We consider this action to be inhuman, insensitive and highly provocative of the institution of learning such as that of our client<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To this end we demand the following as immediate measure<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span> to mitigate the litigation that our client will embark upon against your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

a. An unqualified letter of apology address<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> to our client through our law firm which must arrive <\/span><\/span>within the next <\/span><\/span>seven (<\/span><\/span>7<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span> days<\/span><\/span> of the receipt of this letter.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
b. Full page p<\/span><\/span>ublication of the letter of apology in 3 national newspapers namely: <\/span><\/span>the <\/span><\/span>P<\/span><\/span>unch, the <\/span><\/span>N<\/span><\/span>ation and the <\/span><\/span>G<\/span><\/span>uardian.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
c. The publication<\/span><\/span> of the apology<\/span><\/span> to run for a period of <\/span><\/span>two (<\/span><\/span>2<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span> weeks in 3 television station<\/span><\/span>s respectively<\/span><\/span> namely: the <\/span><\/span>National Television Authority (NTA), Channels Television and Arise Television.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
d. Officers of your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission must come to <\/span><\/span>the school and clean off <\/span><\/span>the ignoble <\/span><\/span>inscriptions<\/span><\/span> placed on <\/span><\/span>the walls of <\/span><\/span>our clien<\/span><\/span>ts\u2019<\/span><\/span> property<\/span><\/span> with speed and alacrity.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
e. N<\/span><\/span>2<\/span><\/span>,000,000,000.00 (Two<\/span><\/span> B<\/span><\/span>illion <\/span><\/span>N<\/span><\/span>aira<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span> monetary compensation to be paid to our client through this law firm.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

We do hope that your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission will address this matter very timeously<\/span><\/span> within the next seven (7) days failure upon which our client will embark on all legal means to enforce their right against your <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ommission.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We are of the strong view that the voice of reason should prevail as against the exhibition of naked power <\/span><\/span>your Commission has exhibited thus far<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kindly receive the assurances of the highest regards of our law firm.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Yours faithfully,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

FOR: BENSON ENIKUOMEHIN & CO<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

OTUNBA (DR.) BENSON ENIKUOMEHIN, FCPA<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Principal Counsel<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Cc: <\/span><\/span>The Media Houses<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Goodwill Private School’s legal team has issued a heartfelt petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-grassroots"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8168"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8170,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8168\/revisions\/8170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}