Falana queries Nigerian govt over recovered loot

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) on Thursday queried the Federal Government over the recovered stolen fund since 1999.

He insisted that the federal government must declare how much stolen funds it recovered.

Falana spoke at the 20th Bishop Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture to celebrate the 74th birthday of the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), at the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

Delivering the lecture, titled: “The Danger of Unequal Criminal Justice System in Nigeria”, Falana said the Federal Government, through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had recovered over N1 trillion from looters through its whistle-blower policy since 1999.

The legal luminary said, the exact amount had not been declared, neither had the government said what the funds were used for – though he also mentioned that N605 billion was recently recovered.

Falana suggested that government should use the funds to empower local government areas to provide jobs at the grassroots to check unemployment and curb crime.

He said: “The Federal Government has recovered huge sums of money from looters. One of the policies of government, the whistle-blowing policy, has fetched the country N605 billion as of three months ago.

“I am, therefore, suggesting that the billions recovered by the EFCC, let the Federal Government allocate at least N1 billion to every local government area for job creation for our young men and women.”

Falana also accused the military and police of aiding crime in Nigeria by conniving with criminals and politicians.

The activist lawyer gave example of notorious kidnapper Evans, who allegedly used a Lance Corporal to pass through checkpoints without being checked while his victims were in the boot.

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He also alluded to the current case of Taraba State-based kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Bala (aka Wadume) in which the suspect exchanged calls with a Divisonal Police Officer (DPO) and an Army captain.

He said the arrested soldiers in the Wadume case should be tried by the Attorney General of Taraba State, and not the military.

The activist lawyer described the court martial as a cover-up.

Falana said: “Every crime in Nigeria has to be tried in the venue of the crime. So, if the people are killed in Jalingo, Taraba State, you cannot try them in Jos, Plateau State. That means you want them to escape justice.

“So, we are asking the authorities, particularly the Attorney General of Taraba State, to take over the case without further ado so that justice can be served without further delay.”

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