EFCC boss, Lamorde under fire

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde has come under the scrutiny of over 20 civil society organisations (CSOs) who unsatisfied with his tenure at the anti-graft agency have called for his removal.

The CSOs under the aegis of Coalition for Civil Liberty and Equity, (CCLE) are billed to drive home their point with a peaceful demonstration in Abuja today.

The coalition in a statement jointly signed by Mallam Isa Haruna of the Arewa Front for National Advancement (AFNA) and Muideen Olaniyi of the Network for National Integration (NNI), said the protest would draw the attention of Nigerians to the compromised nature of the EFCC under Lamorde’s leadership.

The coalition also decried the manner in which the commission arrested former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido and his sons, former Head of Service, Mr. Steve Orosanye and a host of other Nigerians, stating that if the ugly trend persists, Nigerians of good intentions would be wary of serving in government.

Leaders of the coalition alleged: “Sudden resurgence of the EFCC after a long period of hibernation and lack of direction under Lamorde amounts to grandstanding and cosmetic effort to deceive the present administration and Nigerians that the anti-graft body was working.”

Read also: EFCC in another road show

The group, in the statement warned that unless Lamorde was removed; “the present witch-hunt and cabal-sponsored arrests and bogus charges would cast Nigeria in bad light before the international community and all men of good conscience.

The group alleged: “It is on record that Lamorde was fingered by the Senate Committee on Establishment in 2013 over the conduct of biometric for pensioners in the diaspora.

“It was discovered that Lamorde collected estacode twice for biometric abroad and never went for any and refunded only one of the estacodes. Lamorde should also explain why he received allowances for meetings he never attended with the Pension Reform Task Team.”

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