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In continuation of their protest against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), many anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and constitution lawyers in Nigeria yesterday petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over what they described as brazen disobedience of court orders by the anti-fraud agency.
The groups and lawyers accused the EFCC of disobeying court orders under the watch of its Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Olufemi Lawson, spokesperson for the over 130 CSOs and 20 constitution lawyers, in a statement, said a copy of the petition to President was also submitted to the Inspector-General of Police.
He called on President Buhari to not only to address the protest against Bawa to restore confidence in the capacity of the commission to truly fight financial crime but also direct the IGP to do the needful in line with a court order.
Lawson also revealed that the groups demanded a commission an enquiry into the workings of the EFCC, its present engagements and happenings within the agency.
The activists said, being anti-corruption crusaders themselves, they could not stand by while the EFCC disobeys court orders and still relies on the courts in the discharge of its work.
In the petition, the activists stated: “It is on the basis of the continued perpetration of illegality in the EFCC, that we promptly alerted the nation to it, issuing a 7-day ultimatum to the Inspector-General of Police …to make him face justice.
They listed “arrests without valid warrants, detention of suspects beyond the duration allowed by the courts, seizure of property belonging to suspected persons before any such declaration by a court of competent jurisdiction and disobedience of court orders, among others” as some of the unbecoming activities of EFCC.
The groups said if a government agency expected to obey the law starts doing things inimical to the rule of law, “we fear that the nation may slide into some real crisis of confidence in our systems.
The anti-corruption activists also disclosed that they had uncovered plans to sponsor some “discredited activists” for the purpose of laundering the image of the EFCC before the incoming administration takes charge.
The groups urged President Buhari to direct the Inspector-General of Police to take Abdulrasheed Bawa up in compliance with a subsisting order of the court.
On the demand for commission an enquiry, the groups said it was necessary in order to look into the workings of the EFCC, its present engagements and happenings within the commission.
The anti-corruptiongroups called for the overhaul of the EFCC and “where necessary lobby the National Assembly to amend the EFCC Act to make the structure less prone to high-handedness and make the Chairmen answerable to the laws of the land.”
The protests agaibst the EFCC chair, which continued on Tuesday, are being led by CACOL Chairman, Debo Adeniran; Executive Director, Zero Graft Centre, Kolawole Sanchez-Jude; Chairman, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, Toyin Raheem; Executive Director, Centre for Public Accountability, Olufemi Lawson; Spokesperson for the Transparency and Accountability Group, Ayodeji Ologun; Director, Activists for Good Governance, Declan Ihehaire; and Ahmed Balogun of Media Rights Concern, among over 120 notable leaders of Anti-corruption CSOs.
Barr. Mogbojuri Kayode of the Citizens Rights Advocacy Group (CRAG) is also leading over 20 constitution lawyers in the protest.
