Top Lawyer Issues Strong Allegation Against EFCC Over 'Harassment' Governor Yahaya Bello
- A senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakogba has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of harassing the Kogi state government
- The lawyer alleged that the EFCC was conducting a media trial against the Kogi state government and its governor
- Agbakogba warned that according to the provisions of the law, how a state spends its funds is not the anti-graft agency's business
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been accused of conducting a media trial on the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello.
ThisDay reports a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbeakogba, alleged that the anti-graft agency has a hand in the recent arraignment of Bello's nephew and the previous N20 billion bail-out fund.
Source: UGC
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, December 18, Agbakogba said the commission is turning itself into a one-man Robin Wood riot gang, which must not be allowed.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted how a state spends its money should never be the business of the EFCC.
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His words:
“The EFCC, for example, plays a very strong role in the anti-corruption strategy of Nigeria, but they are also one of the institutions most guilty of breaking the rule of law.
“Is it their business how Kogi spends their money? Even if it is their business, is it their lawful business to make that enquiry?
“The Supreme Court has recently said in one of its judgements that the EFCC cannot be a jack of all trades and that they should concentrate on what the law empowers them to do under Section 46 of their Act."
Agbakogba further stated that it is not the duty of the EFCC to be chasing the Kogi State government and threatening to storm the State House to seize documents or harass the Accountant-General of the state.
APC gov's nephew lands in prison as EFCC arraigns him for fraudulently withdrawing N10bn from state's treasury
The EFCC has arraigned Ali Bello, a nephew to Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and one Dauda Sulaiman for fraud.
Bello and Sulaiman, according to EFCC, fraudulently withdrew N10bn from Kogi state's treasury and gave it to a Bureau de Change operator to keep or change to foreign currencies.
The suspects who pleaded not guilty were remanded in prison pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
EFCC unrepentantly witch-hunting Governor Yahaya Bello, says Kogi state govt
Meanwhile, the Kogi state government has debunked an allegation of money laundering levelled against it by the EFCC, describing it as sustenance of the persecution of the government by the Abdulrasheed Bawa-led anti-graft commission.
The government in a reaction to a statement by the EFCC on Thursday, December 15 stated that the commission, with its present allegations, had shown clearly that it was desperately seeking to save its face 'after hitting a roadblock in its N20billion Sterling Bank media trial.'
In a statement signed by the commissioner for information and communication in Kogi state, Kingsley Fanwo, and seen by Legit.ng, the government said the EFCC is on embarrassing itself with its actions.
Source: Legit.ng
