Metro
EFCC to arrest, arraign more ex-govs
The number of arrests and prosecutions of public officers, especially former governors, recently embarked upon by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in recent times is likely to increase, and more of them brought in for questioning.
This is following a flood of petitions that have been submitted to the anti-graft agency by Nigerians on the public servants who are accused to have used their exalted positions to enrich themselves, families and cronies massively, to the detriment of their constituencies.
According to senior operatives of the commission, some of the immediate past governors and many of their family members will soon be charged to court on the conclusion of investigation into allegations of stealing, abuse of office, money laundering and other vices, for which EFCC said they have been indicted.
“Since we are not the final arbiter on corruption matters, they will all have their days in courts of competent jurisdiction”, the highly placed source said.
It was also gathered, that apart from former Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, who presently has no petitions written against him, most state governors that served out their tenure on May 29, “have a case to answer”.
“We don’t know if there is any understanding between Yuguda and his successor but all the others have cases against them”, a top operative of the anti-corruption agency squealed.
“It has been a floodgate of damning allegations for most of the immediate past governors. We are investigating every matter in details and sieving out frivolous ones. The truth is that many of them stand indicted and will have to be prosecuted for money laundering, stealing and other corruptions charges.
“It is unbelievable that very few can escape if the judiciary doesn’t look at technicalities. You know we don’t adjudicate”, the source added.
Read also: Politricks… EFCC unveils revolutionary cost-cutting measures
While the former governors of Imo, Adamawa and Jigawa states have been arraigned in court on multiples charges of corruption and money laundering, a former governor of Borno state, Ali Modu Sheriff was quizzed by the Commission and released on administrative bail.
Penultimate Thursday (July 30), EFCC reportedly questioned Chief Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, the Chief of Staff of the immediate past Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, over alleged embezzlement.
According to EFCC officials who didn’t want their names published, Nwobodo’s probe is a preparatory move to go against Chime.
There are also indications that in the coming weeks, crack detectives will put together findings and interrogate more former state governors, including those of Plateau, Ebonyi, Kano, Kebbi, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
Many of those interrogated so far, we learnt, have prima facie cases that have been established against them.
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Babatoks
August 8, 2015 at 8:00 am
ALL ex-governors will need to be arrested and prosecuted;none of them is innocent or discharged their duties with any kind of sincerity. The people know. My concern with this flurry of redundant arrests by the EFCC is threefold: The EFCC, as currently constituted, staffed and led, is not going to achieve anything. The same EFCC has been compromised and is utterly corrupt, inefficient and ineffective. It is just putting on a show to impress the new government of Buhari. Secondly, the ex-governors, some over 8 years ago, have been mopping up any or all the evidence of their corruption, and the EFCC hardly as the capacity and the intellectual and forensic abilities to dig deep enough. Thirdly, most of the ex-governors now sit in the Senate or occupy important positions in government or have influence, and will be difficult stampede into being investigated. They are too confident in the knowledge that that they can escape justice.
Austin Joiset Obozua
August 8, 2015 at 11:26 am
Your points is well seen and understood. You’ve said the clear truth but to individuals in the millions is a bitter pill for them.
Babatoks
August 8, 2015 at 11:42 am
Thanks brother. I don’t have a monopoly of wisdom of knowledge, but from personal experience and knowledge, the EFCC of Mr Larmorde is just putting on a show to save his job. At the end of the day, if he is left to handle it, and with his already corrupt, compromised, unmotivated and incompetent staff and organisation, all these arrests and investigations and “yabbiz” will al turn out to be just another farce, wastes of public money and exercises in futility.
Johnson
August 8, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Don’t mind Mr Larmode. Why did he wake up now, what was he doing during GEJ tenure, was his mouth padlocked then? His own tenure during GEJ as well should be probed by a separate and independent anti-corruption body.
Babatoks
August 8, 2015 at 9:48 pm
Agreed. And he should end up in jail.
Isaac Azor
August 9, 2015 at 11:15 am
I agree in total to the preceding views. Larmode and most of his team members are not fit for the present dispensation. There was so much compromise on their part during the last regime and should be made to answer and reprimanded appropriately.