- The former secretary to the government of the federation Babachir Lawal is being investigated over alleged corruption allegation
- The spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren explained that the case has not been forgotten
- Uwujaren maintained that the matter is on the table of the commission
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday, May 29 explained that it is still investigating the former secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and will act based on the outcome of the probe.
Channel TV reports that spokesperson of the agency, Wilson Uwujaren, said this on Tuesday during the Channels Forum which brought together experts and policymakers to discuss key issues in the country.
This comes amid questions about the fate of the former SGF who was fired after being indicted for corruption and investigated for the same.
Critics of President Muhammadu Buhari have argued that the failure to prosecute Lawal and other people close to his administration or in his party, the APC, hurts his much-talked-about anti-corruption war.
At the forum, a former chairman of the National Human Rights commission Chidi Odinkalu, brought up the issue, while explaining why he believes the fight against corruption has been discredited.
Odinkalu said:“If the [now former] secretary to the government of the federation has been investigated by the vice president, the national security adviser and the attorney-general of the federation on the basis of which the President has fired him and you are telling me that is not authoritative enough to send him to court, there is a problem.”
The EFCC spokesperson who confirmed that “the case involving the former secretary to the government of the federation has been investigated by at least two panels before now”, explained that it had not been forgotten.
He said: “The matter is on the table of the EFCC. “We are currently doing our investigation and at the end of our investigation, if we have credible evidence to take him to court, we will take him to court.”
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that EFCC traced 61 assets to former managing director/chief executive officer of Oceanic Bank, Cecilia Ibru, in Dubai in its ongoing tracking of looted funds. The Nation reports that the assets include 41 shops, 16 mansions and four park towers.
The properties have been confiscated, but their sale is trailed by controversy because about $4,522,413.20 remain unaccounted for in the last seven years.
The EFCC stage a walk against corruption - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng