….Says Borno State Governor protected by immunity, but investigations continue
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday rejected allegations by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed that it was being used by political opponents to target him and his aides.
Mohammed, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had accused the EFCC of being used to hound the opposition.
In a statement on its Facebook feed on Friday, the EFCC said claims that it was acting at the behest of the Federal Capital Territory minister, Nyesom Wike, were “baseless” and an attempt to undermine the commission’s independence.
“The EFCC is a non-partisan agency discharging its mandate without fear or favour,” the commission said, adding that no political office holder had the power to influence its investigations.
The commission said Mohammed was standing trial for alleged money laundering at the time he was elected governor in 2019, noting that the case was suspended only because of the constitutional immunity attached to his office.
It said charges currently before the court against officials of the Bauchi State government were based on evidence obtained through investigation and were publicly accessible.
“The facts against the accused persons are already before the court, and the public can determine whether the case is borne out of vendetta or due process,” the statement said.
Responding to claims that the investigations were linked to terrorism financing allegations, the EFCC said it was enforcing existing laws and would be failing in its duty to ignore suspected offences.
The agency also dismissed claims of selective prosecution, saying it had recently arraigned a senior member of the ruling party on corruption charges without political interference.
The EFCC urged Governor Mohammed to focus on governance while allowing the commission to carry out its statutory responsibility of tackling economic and financial crimes.
