Anti-Corruption, Human-rights and Good Governance Watch (AHGGW), on Monday, accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), of shielding some corruption suspects wanted by the law.
The group cited a specific criminal case involving the former National President of the Association of the Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Bola Audu Innocent,who the ICPC had filed charges against the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court at Maitama, Abuja.
According to the CSO, the ICPC has refused to arrest and present the suspect, Bola Audu Innocent before the court despite Justice Y. Halilu’s charge that he should be arrested by any means necessary and brought to court to face the law.
It said Mr Innocent has consistently shunned several Court hearings where he was scheduled for arraignment before Justice Halilu.
As a result, the anti-corruption watch calls on the new ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu,SAN, to urgently intervene and ensure his operatives apprehend Mr Innocent and bring him before the court.
“We shall not hesitate to picket the ICPC headquarters in Abuja to ensure that Mr Innocent and other corruption suspects evading arrest are brought before the law,” a statement issued on Monday by AHGGW’s General Secretary, Dr. Sani Muhammed, said.
The CSO further gave one-week ultimatum to the ICPC to heed Justice Halilu’s order and arrest Bola Audu Innocent and present him to the court to face the law.
It added that at the end of one week starting Monday, 15 January, 2024, it would mobilize its members and other CSOs across the federation to register their displeasure over ICPC’s failure to arrest and prosecute the suspe
Contained in a statement signed by AHGGW’s General Secretary, Dr. Sani Muhammed Aliyu, the CSOs said the criminal case with suit number: CR/738/2023, is suffering setbacks and that Bola Audu may never answer to the law on the issues he is wanted for, because the ICPC officers in charge of the case are apparently in an unholy alliance with Mr Bola the suspect, intentionally refusing to arrest and arraign him before Justice