By: Adeosun Ewatomi
The presidency has acknowledged the troubled times faced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) due to the court injunctions against it in about 10 states and the impending Supreme Court verdicts on the legality of the anti-graft agency.
The Supreme Court suit, which has reserved its judgment, was instituted by the Kogi State Government and over 10 other states. They are challenging the EFCC's power to investigate and prosecute public officials and other Nigerians linked to financial crimes, cybercrime, and other illegalities in the country.
Contrary to expectations, the EFCC is facing court cases filed by Nigerians and institutions that should have aided its efforts to prevent corruption across the country, rather than creating obstacles for the agency.The presidency indicated that the series of court cases filed against the EFCC are a strategy allegedly employed to silence the anti-graft agency after it produced evidence validating its stance on many high-profile cases.The cases have emerged following unsuccessful attempts to persuade President Bola Tinubu to limit the powers of the EFCC's chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who had become a thorn in the flesh for many youths engaged in cybercrime and serving/former public officials within the first year of the administration.This became evident after the EFCC recorded over 3,000 convictions and is currently prosecuting more than seven high-profile cases within the first year of Olukoyede's leadership. The President has declared non-interference in EFCC operations to ensure a significant reduction in public office misappropriation.
However, these records have become a major source of worry for many public officials and private individuals who had previously praised the EFCC's boss, including the Attorneys-General and Commissioners of Justice of the states that have challenged the agency's legality at the Supreme Court.An aide to the Presidency disclosed that the Tinubu administration has given the anti-graft agencies, particularly the EFCC, the freedom to go after looters and other financial crime offenders across the country. This has led to the adoption of different strategies, including the former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, allegedly refusing to honor EFCC invitations and court summons.The administration had expected the legal practitioners from the states who had praised the EFCC to discourage their state governors from filing the suit on the legality of the anti-graft agency at the Supreme Court. However, the government was surprised that they allowed their governors to take this step without offering better legal advice to caution them.
The suit at the apex court came shortly after the Body of State Attorneys-General of Nigeria visited the EFCC chairman and commended the agency's forward-looking and developmental approaches under his leadership.The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has decided to personally lead the Federal Government's legal team to the Supreme Court to challenge the suit brought by the governors against the EFCC and other agencies. This is seen as a way for corruption to fight back through the courts, and the government is determined to confront it and protect public resources from being embezzled.
A female presidential aide stated that the President is committed to the anti-corruption campaign and has directed the Attorney-General to defend all the agencies affected by the lawsuit in court. The source added that these agencies, particularly the EFCC, have become a threat to many who previously considered the agency ineffective in dealing with financial misappropriation by former public officials.
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