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EFCC is becoming political tool against perceived enemies, Right group cries out

‘Ranmilowo Ojalumo

A human right group, the Center for Human and Socio-economic Rights ((CHSR) has called on President Buhari led administration to call the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to order and ensure that the anti-graft agencies is not being used to persecute perceived political enemies whether in opposition parties or within the same party.

The group made this called at a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, while assessing the state of the nation, stressing that the corruption monster in the country must be fought successfully before the country will be able to pursue its dream of being one of the largest economies of the world.

L-R: Comrade Akanni Peter, President CHSR ,Com. Alex Omotehinse and General Secretary Com. Agbedina Omokehinde during the Group’s Media briefing on State of the Nation in Lagos

The president of the group, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, in his address at the briefing, reiterated that corruption remains the major bane of the Nigeria society, stressing that corruption, fraud, embezzlement, bribery and forgery has greatly impeded the socio-economic and political development of Nigeria and currently threatening the stability of the country.

He however lamented that EFCC seems to be a toothless bulldog and selective in the discharge of its duties, adding that the anti-graft agency is lawless as it does not in most cases, follow due process and obey the rule of law.

Omotehinse added that EFCC has become an extra-judicial body causing fractures on the constitution in the name of law enforcement, prosecuting people on the pages of newspapers without any compelling evidence and trying to intimidate innocent people.

He said the agency should instead concentrate on serious cases, and not trivialize the fight against corruption by expending public resources unjustly on cases that are relatively administrative lapses, individual or group interest and political enemy instead of pursuing absolutely corrupt practices.

Omotehinse cited the case of a Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, who was charged to court for allegedly dealing in property forfeited by order of court to the Federal Government through the EFCC, as well as the case of Ms. Mnena Ato, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Star Shawarma, Makurdi, Benue State who was arrested and detained over N1, 600:00K transactions as part of trivia matters the agency has been spending public fund money on rather than concentrating on serious cases.

He also stated that the case of the former speaker of the Lagos State house of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji with EFCC is clearly a political infighting with frivolous petition, insisting that anti-graft agencies should not be used to persecute perceived political enemies whether in opposition parties or within the same party.

He said “the former speaker and his Personal Assistant was alleged of receiving cash payment without going through a financial institution and that contradict the money laundry act.

“Meanwhile from our finding, we learnt that whenever the Assembly members need to use a large sum of money for a certain project like travelling there will be need for the assembly to issue a cheque to the bank and the bank will use its bullion van to bring the cash to the assembly account department where all the Honourable members that are beneficiary to money will go and dully sign to collect the amount meant for them.   

“A case of gross repetition and duplication of same allegation of accepting cash payment without going through a financial institution, is a clear case of continuing wastage of public fund in persecuting perceived political enemy within the same political party in the name of anti-corruption fight”, the comrade said.

Also citing the case of Senator Shehu Sanni with the anti-graft agency, Omotenhinse said “for an anti-graft agency with sufficient manpower and investigative tools, it defies logic why the agency simply can’t reduce its accusation against Senator Shehu Sani into a coherent charge upon which he ought to be arraigned for the adjudicatory determination of his guilt or innocence.

“Firstly, the allegations against Senator Shehu Sani seemed straightforward enough until the desperation to hang the man by all means took a turn into new direction. He was accused of obtaining a bribe of $10,000 to exert influence on the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, to protect an associate, Alhaji Sani Dauda, from prosecution on a matter.

“Later he was alleged anew that the bribe money was $20,000 and it was collected by Senator Sani to prevail on the Chief Justice, Ibrahim Tanko, to favor the accuser in a matter before the court, the CJN denied any such transaction, and once again, the narrative was switched, just to achieving a set agenda of political score and intimidation.

“Senator Shehu Sani’s privacy has been severally abused; his house has been ransacked and his phone accessed as the desperation for a crime to hang him is driving the frenzy of the EFCC beyond permissible practice in law and practice.

“Anti-graft agencies should not be used to persecute perceived political enemies whether in opposition parties or within the same party, government should concentrate on serious cases, and not trivialize the fight against corruption by expending public resources unjustly on cases that are relatively administrative lapses, individual or group interest and political enemy instead of pursuing absolutely corrupt practice”, Omotehinse said.

He noted that politics, more than anything else, has disabled EFCC and other anti-corruption bodies in the country from discharging their duty and successfully get rid of corruption in the country. He therefore called on the government to call the agency to order and ensure that the anti-graft agency follow rule of law.  

The group therefore demands that all trivial and politically motivated cases should be dropped to give way for serious and absolute corrupt cases and Stop the wastage of public fund.

“The case of Honorable Ikuforiji – Formal Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, the allegation against him, and many other similar cases that are minimal, trivial and political therefore, should be discontinued, to stop the waste of pubic fund in prosecuting personal and group interest.

“We demand as a matter of urgency for the EFCC to prosecute the suspects arrested in the kwara State SUBEB fraud scam, we demand for an immediate prosecution of Senator Rochas Okorocha the former Governor of Imo State and the case must not be allowed to be swept under carpet like some others

The group also demands that the EFCC should obey the rule of law

editor

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