FOI: Court Orders Bank To Disclose Details Of Oduah’s Bulletproof Cars

Buhari

Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday ordered First Bank of Nigeria Plc to disclose details of the loan facility it granted the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) used for the 2013 purchase of the two controversial bullet-proof BMW cars for former Aviation Minister,  Stella Oduah.  Justice Yunusa, who issued the order while delivering judgement in a suit instituted by a civil society organisation, Enough is Enough (EiE), Nigeria against the bank under Freedom of Information Act, held that by the provisions of sections2(7) and 31 of the FOI Act, First Bank is covered by the Act.

EiE filed the suit due to the refusal of the bank to honour a request made to it under the FOI Act on October 30, 2013, seeking information on the funding of the bullet-proof BMW cars.

In its defence, First Bank had claimed that as a private company, it is not covered by the FOI Act.

However,  in his judgement, Justice Yunusa held that the bank is a private company performing public functions within the meaning of the Act, since the bank did not deny EIE’s claim that the bank collects levies and taxes on behalf of various governments and government institutions.