Get Guardian on GoogleThe Lagos State High Court has restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting or detaining Honda Manufacturing (Nigeria) Limited, Honda Automobile Western Africa Limited, their executives, dealers, distributors, business associates and more than 200 other applicants in connection with a pending investigation.
Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi of the Lagos Judicial Division granted the interim injunction on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, following an application by the applicants’ counsel, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, who led Akinwale Irokosu A. Apara and T. Aluko.
The applicants had approached the court to seek protection of their fundamental rights, alleging threats of arrest and detention, repeated invitations for questioning and other actions they said could infringe on their personal liberty, freedom of movement and right to privacy.
In granting the first prayer in their motion for interim injunction, Justice Ogunjobi held that the order sufficiently covered the applicants’ second to sixth prayers.
The applicants had sought an order restraining the EFCC, its officers, agents and representatives from arresting, detaining or otherwise restricting their liberty in connection with the investigation pending the determination of the substantive suit.
They also asked the court to stop the commission from compelling them or their officers to report for questioning, issuing further invitations to some of the applicants, dealers, distributors and business associates, or subjecting them to harassment, intimidation and threats of arrest.
The application further sought protection for individual applicants who might be unable or unwilling to honour further invitations issued by the commission in connection with the investigation.
They also urged the court to restrain the EFCC from taking any action to restrict their liberty without complying with the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and other applicable laws.
The suit was instituted under Sections 34, 35, 37, 40, 43 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as relevant provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
The matter was adjourned to November 13, 2026, for further proceedings
