14/09/2025
PRESS STATEMENT
COURT RESTRICT EHORECON, NPF FROM PUBLIC HEALTH INTERFERENCE; AWARD DAMAGES.
The Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan has declared unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful the constant intimidation, harassment, and threats of arrest by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) at the instance of Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria( EHOCERON)
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 by Hon Justice R.O. Mariana in SUIT NO: M/112/2025 filled by Joseph J. Ogunmodede Esq, on behalf of the National Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria, Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, Dr Bolaji Olajumoke respectively.
The court held that EHORECON is a body created under National Assembly Act 2002 which its core objective or purpose of creation is to register and issue license to person’s or corporate body to practice as an Environmental Health Service Provider throughout the federation; a role quite different from the aims and objectives of the Association thus read: 1. To educate, promote and protect the ethics of Public Health. 2 To promote lifelong training of practitioners. 3 To foster healthcare development in the society 4. To provide for the needy in the society 5. To provide free medical services to the less privilege. 6 To cooperate with other relevant bodies within and abroad that have similar aims and objectives that will be of benefits. “Thus, the two organizations have different objects of their formation, and no one is permitted to discharge the duties of the other “.
The case had AIG of Police, Zone 7 Zonal Command, Abuja, DCP Yusuf A. Ajape, and DCP Olubunmi Stephen Ogedengbe, Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Yakubu Muhammed Baba joined as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents.
Justice Muriana sitting section 6(6)-(C ), 251 and 272 of 1999 constitution ruled that the matter is between two organizations is a civil matters and the Nigerian Police Force by their act of creation are not permitted to dabble into such matter. The resolution of civil dispute between parties is for the court and not the police.
Prof Ode narrated in his affidavit how EHORECON wrote frivolous petition to NPF with the intention to force him to surrender public health promotion, whence the Police forced him to write undertaking under duress to the effect that he no longer own Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria. The EHORECON went further to hijacked the Association program of registering Public Health students in Kebbi State as permitted by the state government.
The Respondents went further to allege for fraud, impersonation and false pretense. Bar Joseph responded that none of the Association activities is related to Environmental Health and does not require the authentication or consent of EHORECON to run Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria and members of the public have a right to freedom of association and decide for themselves to join Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria and pay membership subscription as part of the association source of income as contained in article 8 of its constitution.
In it’s judgement , Justice Muriana declared unconstitutional, illegal and unlawful the constant intimidation, threats of arrest and invasion of the association office by the Nigerian Police Force as it constitute a breach of fundamental rights.
He declared also that continue harassment, threat’s and intimidation of Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, Dr Bolaji Olajumoke at the instance of EHORECON as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.
Concluding, the judge granted all relief sought by the Association and declared that the trailing, hunting and monitoring of movement of Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, and Dr Bolaji Olajumoke at the instructions of EHORECON is illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional as it constitute a breach of fundamental rights.
The court also made and order of perpetual injection restraining the Respondents jointly and severally their agents, servants and privies from harassing, intimidating, stalking, threatening to arrest and detain Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, and Dr Bolaji Olajumoke and subjecting them to maltreatment and false intimidation and interfering in any form whatsoever with the rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty, freedom of movement and association of Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, and Dr Bolaji Olajumoke respectively.
The court further awarded the sum of Fifty Million Naira ( #50,000.00) damages as compensation for all the illegal intimidations, constant threat’s and harassments thereby preventing them from freely running the affairs of the association.
Reacting, the applicants council commended the judgement and the judge for restating the jurisprudence of the court on the issue and for rendering appropriate judgement.
13th September, 2025
https://www.facebook.com/100095402893475/posts/636563939533697/?app=fbl
PRESS STATEMENT
COURT RESTRICT EHORECON, NPF FROM PUBLIC HEALTH INTERFERENCE; AWARD DAMAGES.
The High Court of Justice sitting in Ibadan has declared unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful the constant intimidation, harassment, and threats of arrest by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) at the instance of Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria( EHOCERON)
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 by Hon Justice R.O. Mariana in SUIT NO: M/112/2025 filled by Joseph J. Ogunmodede Esq, on behalf of the National Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria, Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, Dr Bolaji Olajumoke respectively.
The court held that EHORECON is a body created under National Assembly Act 2002 which its core objective or purpose of creation is to register and issue license to person’s or corporate body to practice as an Environmental Health Service Provider throughout the federation; a role quite different from the aims and objectives of the Association thus read: 1. To educate, promote and protect the ethics of Public Health. 2 To promote lifelong training of practitioners. 3 To foster healthcare development in the society 4. To provide for the needy in the society 5. To provide free medical services to the less privilege. 6 To cooperate with other relevant bodies within and abroad that have similar aims and objectives that will be of benefits. “Thus, the two organizations have different objects of their formation, and no one is permitted to discharge the duties of the other “.
The case had AIG of Police, Zone 7 Zonal Command, Abuja, DCP Yusuf A. Ajape, and DCP Olubunmi Stephen Ogedengbe, Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Yakubu Muhammed Baba joined as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents.
Justice Muriana sitting section 6(6)-(C ), 251 and 272 of 1999 constitution ruled that the matter is between two organizations is a civil matters and the Nigerian Police Force by their act of creation are not permitted to dabble into such matter. The resolution of civil dispute between parties is for the court and not the police.
Prof Ode narrated in his affidavit how EHORECON wrote frivolous petition to NPF with the intention to force him to surrender public health promotion, whence the Police forced him to write undertaking under duress to the effect that he no longer own Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria. The EHORECON went further to hijacked the Association program of registering Public Health students in Kebbi State as permitted by the state government.
The Respondents went further to allege for fraud, impersonation and false pretense. Bar Joseph responded that none of the Association activities is related to Environmental Health and does not require the authentication or consent of EHORECON to run Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria and members of the public have a right to freedom of association and decide for themselves to join Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria and pay membership subscription as part of the association source of income as contained in article 8 of its constitution hence, the allegations are baseless.
In it’s judgement , Justice Muriana declared unconstitutional, illegal and unlawful the constant intimidation, threats of arrest and invasion of the association office by the Nigerian Police Force as it constitute a breach of fundamental rights.
He declared also that continue harassment, threat’s and intimidation of Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, Dr Bolaji Olajumoke at the instance of EHORECON as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.
Concluding, the judge granted all relief sought by the Association and declared that the trailing, hunting and monitoring of movement of Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, and Dr Bolaji Olajumoke at the instructions of EHORECON is illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional as it constitute a breach of fundamental rights.
The court also made and order of perpetual injuction restraining the Respondents jointly and severally their agents, servants and privies from harassing, intimidating, stalking, threatening to arrest and detain Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, and Dr Bolaji Olajumoke and subjecting them to maltreatment and false intimidation and interfering in any form whatsoever with the rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty, freedom of movement and association of Prof Emmanuel Ode, Dr Blessing Abba, and Dr Bolaji Olajumoke respectively.
The court further awarded the sum of Five Million Naira ( #5,000.000) damages as compensation for all the illegal intimidations, constant threat’s and harassments thereby preventing them from freely running the affairs of the association.
Reacting, the applicants council commended the judgement and the judge for restating the jurisprudence of the court on the issue and for rendering appropriate judgement.
13th September, 2025.
