A non governmental organization, NGO, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Thursday accused the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu of showing naked partisanship in cases of alleged corruption involving a former national publicity secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, and the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
HURIWA criticized the Magu-led EFCC for “confiscating all the banking assets of the erstwhile spokesman of the PDP even when the Court of competent jurisdiction has yet to convict him of any of the charges instituted by the anti-graft body against the former trenchant critic of President Muhammadu Buhari – Mr. Olisa Metuh.”
In a statement issued by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA expressed shock that the “same EFCC had filed a motion before a Federal High Court to stop it from granting mandamus order compelling the EFCC to investigate and file charges of corruption against the National Chairman of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the purported theft of billions of public fund whilst he served for eight years as the governor of Edo state under the All Progressives Congress.”
HURIWA also expressed shock that Magu was still the “head of EFCC and the Senate has no qualms passing EFCC’s budget and the Secretary of the panel even when the President disrespected the decision of the upper legislative chamber to disqualify Ibrahim Magu from confirmation based on his indictment by the Department of State Services.”
The body recalled that the Federal High Court, Abuja had ordered the service of its processes on Oshiomhole over an alleged financial malfeasance during his stewardship as governor of Edo State.
HURIWA stated that Justice Anwuli Chikere gave the order while ruling on an ex-parte application brought before the court by Bishop Osadolor Ochei.
It further recalled that the application was seeking an order of mandamus compelling the EFCC to arrest and commence criminal proceedings against the ex-Labour leader for allegedly diverting state funds for personal use.
The statement reads, “The ex-parte, with suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/628/ 2018, and filed by Dr. West Idahosa on behalf of the plaintiff, has Oshiomole and EFCC as first and second respondents.
“Idahosa, had while arguing the motion, urged the court to allow the respondents to file their replies to the weighty allegations against them.
“On the other hand, Ochei had on October 28, 2016, written the EFCC over Oshiomhole, who was Edo governor between November 12, 2008 and November 11, 2016.
“While praying the court to grant the request of his client, Idahosa referred the court to 86 exhibits filed in support of the application, stressing that there were documents and graphics of palatial houses of the ex-governor whose his life earnings, he contended, couldn’t acquire.
“He said there were evidence on how the APC national chair allegedly diverted money meant for state projects to his.
“The counsel added that there were vouchers of exorbitant airfares that the NLC’s erstwhile boss incurred, which according to him, could get Edo people an air carrier.
“The lawyer also claimed that there were receipts of how he used huge state funds to repair his private vehicles, urging the court to grant the sought reliefs.
“Consequently, the judge adjourned till October 23 for arguments from parties in the suit.”
HURIWA carpeted the EFCC for filing a purported motion to oppose the “granting of the mandamus to compel it to do its statutory duty of probing the extensively damaging allegations against the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress whereas the same EFCC had obtained ‘jankara market’ court injunction to confiscate the accounts of the former National spokesman of PDP as if he has already been convicted even when the constitution in section 36(5) provides that there must be fair hearing for all suspects who are to be presumed innocent before the law until contrary determination is reached by the competent court of law.”
The group recalled that Metuh told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that the EFCC had on Monday frozen all his bank accounts, and that he learnt of the no-debit order placed on his account after his failed transaction on one of the accounts on Tuesday.
Metuh told the court presided over by Justice Okon Abang that as a result of the development, he could no longer feed his family or buy things as common as water and pain-relieving medicine like Panadol.
HURIWA also recalled that the EFCC is prosecuting Metuh and his Destra Investments Limited, on seven counts of money laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m from the Office of the NSA on November 22, 2014, for the PDP’s campaign activities.
HURIWA criticized the “EFCC for not only refusing to investigate the Presidential campaign funds of the pre-2015 opposition Presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari just because he is the appointing authority of the acting Chairman of EFCC.”
It said the “naked partisanship betrays the enabling law setting up the EFCC as an institution which should carry out their statutory duties without let or hindrance just as the group accused the EFCC of protecting the APC’s national chairman who has come under considerable accusations of fraud and bribery and had even been interdicted twice by the Department of state services for allegedly collecting $50 million USD during the just ended party primaries of the APC.”
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