Corruption: EFCC Set To Try Odili, Other Top Politicians

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is bent on reopening all the corruption cases involving top politicians which had either been delayed or stopped through perpetual court
injunctions.

According to a top management officer of the commission, the hands of the EFCC had been tied as the court shielded such individuals from prosecution, Vanguard reports.

EFCC set to move against Peter Odili, and other top politicians
One of the top profile politicians, is Peter Odili, a former governor of Rivers state who secured a perpetual injunction from a Federal judge barring the EFCC from probing his eight-year tenure over graft allegations leveled against him.

The anti-graft commission had filed an appeal against the ruling but it has made no progress since it was filed over four years ago.

The top EFCC officer said nothing will stop the Ibrahim Magu-led EFCC from reopening Odili’s case and bringing him to book.

The official said: “Let it be made clear that the EFCC will go after all cases that are deserving of investigation. There is nothing like perpetual injunctions anymore in our criminal administration justice code.

“We have a duty to investigate all cases since we are empowered by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to investigate all such corruption-related cases and that is what we are asked to do.

“We are empowered by Section 15 of the new Criminal Justice Administration Act to investigate all cases irrespective of injunctions. We cannot be stopped.”

The source added that those who abused their office by looting the nation’s treasury under the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan would be summoned by the commission to answer questions on why breached public trust.

Those to be summoned include, former minister of finance & coordinating minister of the economy in the last administration, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and some former officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, who handled the disbursement of funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.

Meanwhile, the EFCC chairman, Magu has established a Procurement Fraud Unit (PFU), to strengthen the fight against corruption in the country.

Magu announced this yesterday, December 16, in Abuja during a meeting with leaders of a coalition of civil society organisations.

In an earlier report, Odili was named alongside Chief Bode George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as beneficiaries of about N100 million each from the embattled former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki in the $2 billion arms deal scam.

He however, said the N100million he received was from the PDP for the contact and mobilization in the South-South for the 2015 elections.

Okonjo-Iweala was alleged to have diverted the late head of state Sani Abacha’s loot. She allegedly approved the transfer of at least N61.4 billion ($300 million and £5.5 million) from funds recovered from the late Abacha, to the office of the NSA, few weeks to the 2015 presidential election.


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