News, Society

How Benedict Peters Got Into Trouble

When Mr. Benedict Peters, Vice Chairman, Aiteo Group was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), millions of Nigerians do not know why the business mogul was in trouble.

Benedict Peters

The EFCC said that it declared the Ebonyi State born man wanted in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy, diversion of funds and money laundering.

Furthermore, he was allegedly involved in the $115m (N23bn) bribe given to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the build-up to the 2015 election.

For those who don’t know, he was born in December 1966 and a native of Abakiliki LGA of Ebonyi state. His company acquired an 85 percent stake in the OML 29 block from Shell for $2.56 billion.

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Be that as it may, a High Court sitting in Abuja has annulled his declaration as ‘wanted’ by the EFCC. In a March 22, 2018 judgement, the court said the anti-graft agency had no power to declare Peters or anyone ‘wanted’ without a court order.

As affirmed by the court, “Peters has never been charged with, nor tried for any criminal offence in any Court, nor has he ever jumped bail for any offence howsoever in Nigeria and so cannot be declared wanted by administrative fiat, without any prior order or leave of Court.”

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The judgment by Justice Othman Musa said: “The very act of declaring the Applicant (Benedict Peters) wanted on the official website of the first Respondent (EFCC) without any prior order or leave of a Court of competent jurisdiction to that effect is unlawful, illegal, wrongful, ultra vires, unconstitutional and constitutes a flagrant violation of the Fundamental rights of the applicant to personal liberty, private and family life, freedom of movement and right to not be subjected to inhuman treatment and degrading treatment as guaranteed under Section 34, 37, 41 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (As amended) and Articles 2, 3(1) and (2), 4, 5, 6, 7, and 12(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act 2004.”