The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has strongly pushed back against what it calls a “frenzy of accusations” from political actors across the country, firmly insisting that its hands are clean in operating and rejecting claims that its operations are politically motivated or aimed at persecuting the opposition.
The anti-graft agency addressed a media statement by some politicians containing assumptions such as “Weaponisation of the EFCC,” “Erosion of EFCC’s Independence,” “Persecution of opposition politicians,” and “Politicisation of EFCC’s operations.”
The Commission labelled these as a “deliberate misrepresentation of the Commission’s task in bringing suspects of economic and financial crimes to book.”
The EFCC asserted that its only “weapon is its Establishment Act, which provides the ground norm of its activities.” The Act, it noted, “mandates the Commission to investigate and prosecute all economic and financial crimes.”
The agency stressed that the only exceptions to criminal prosecution are political officers granted constitutional immunity during their tenure. Furthermore, it maintained that its dragnet is non-discriminatory: “Suspects of corrupt practices from the ruling party, opposition party and non- partisan actors have no immunity and are being equally investigated and prosecuted by the EFCC.”
A review of its operations under the current leadership, according to the Commission, demonstrates this non-partisan approach. The EFCC noted, “strong members of the ruling party, such as former governors, ministers and others not publicly known, are sharing tables with a motley number of opposition politicians as well as others.”
The EFCC insists it is “only faithful to its mandate and nothing else,” defining this mandate as “tackling corruption and not any imaginary adversary or political motive.”
It dismissed the insinuation that there is a “discernible pattern of persecution of the opposition by the EFCC with the sole objective of weakening same for the benefit of the ruling APC” as “quite untenable.”
“Where is persecution in asking a suspect of corrupt practice to account for his sleaze?” the statement questioned, asking if offences like “stealing, embezzlement of public funds, contract fraud, money laundering and other corrupt practices ” are excusable for some?”
The agency strongly declared that “Corruption has no gender, religion, tribe, political party or other extraneous alignment. Selective outrage cannot be a defence against criminal investigation for graft.”
The Commission cautioned that what truly threatens democracy is not the EFCC doing its job, but “the attempt to intimidate or blackmail it into abandoning investigation allegations against corrupt opposition politicians for fear of accusations of selectivity.”
It suggested that the political outcry is a “veiled attempt to confer immunity from prosecution for alleged corruption on politicians who suddenly find themselves in the opposition,” a gambit it described as “alien to the Nigerian constitution and the enabling law of the Commission.”
The EFCC concluded with a firm resolve: “The Commission won’t succumb to blackmail or be railroaded into inconclusive investigations just to be seen to be non- selective in its operations.” It also urged all “well-meaning, reform-minded and patriotic Nigerians to join hands with the EFCC in this dignity-restoring mandate.”
