Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court, Lagos on Tuesday ordered First Bank of Nigeria Plc to disclose details of a loan facility it granted to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for the purchase of some bullet proof cars.
The court also gave an order of mandamus compelling First Bank to grant access to or make available to Enough Is Enough Nigeria the information it requested in a letter dated October 30, 2013.
The judge issued the order while delivering judgment in a suit instituted by EIE Nigeria against the bank over its refusal to disclose the information to the organisation.
EIE Nigeria had written an application under the Freedom of Information Act on October 30, 2013 requesting the disclosure of such information.
The suit was filed on behalf of EIE on January 9, 2014 by Ayodeji Acquah of Media Rights Agenda’s Network of Freedom of Information lawyers.
In that suit, EIE is praying the court for the declaration that the failure and/or refusal of First Bank to grant access to or make available to EIE the information it requested in its letter amounts to wrongful denial of access to information under Section 7(5) of the FOI Act.
It is also praying for a declaration that the failure and/or refusal by the First Bank to give EIE a written notice that access to all or part of the information requested would not be granted and stating reasons for the denial and the section of the FOI Act upon which the bank relied upon in denying EIE access such information, amounts to a flagrant violation of Section 4(b), 7(1), (2), and (3) of the FOI Act and is therefore wrongful.
However, EIE had obtained a similar order in March 2015, where Coscharis Motors Limited was directed to disclose details of the transaction.
The cars became controversial following the amount for which it was bought while Stella Oduah held sway as the Minister of Aviation.
Oduah is now a senator.
The scam has now been tagged Oduah Gate.
NAN.
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