July 8, 2026
SUNTV Global Channel – The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has ruled in favour of former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, in a libel suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ordering the anti-graft agency to issue a public apology and pay ₦10 million in damages.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Peter Kekemeke directed the EFCC to withdraw a publication that allegedly linked Agunloye to a purported $6 billion fraud. The court also ordered the commission to publish a public apology on its official website and in two national newspapers, while restraining it from making further defamatory statements against the former minister.
The suit, filed under FCT/HC/CV/1199/2024, challenged the EFCC’s publication, which Agunloye argued falsely portrayed him as being involved in fraud, embezzlement and the misappropriation of public funds. He had sought a retraction, a public apology and ₦1 billion in damages.
Following the court’s decision, Agunloye announced that all the reliefs sought in his statement of claim were granted, while the court awarded ₦10 million in damages against the EFCC.
The case was prosecuted by Agunloye’s legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeola Adedipe, while the EFCC was represented by Wahab Shittu (SAN) and other counsel.
Despite the judgment in the libel case, Agunloye continues to face a separate criminal trial over the controversial Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project contract awarded in 2003.
The EFCC alleges that the former minister awarded the contract in violation of presidential directives and later received a ₦5 million bribe linked to the project. Agunloye has denied the allegations, insisting that he acted within the law and that the payments credited to his account were unrelated to the contract.
He also maintains that the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement required no financial commitment from the Federal Government and that no public funds were disbursed for the project.
In a separate pending lawsuit, Agunloye is also challenging the EFCC’s decision to declare him wanted, arguing that the commission knew his whereabouts and remained in contact with his legal representatives throughout the investigation.
Reacting to the judgment, the former minister expressed gratitude to God, his family, friends and legal team for their support throughout the legal battle.
The ruling marks a significant development in Agunloye’s legal dispute with the EFCC, even as his criminal trial over the Mambilla project continues before the FCT High Court.
