A leading Civil Society Organisation, Conscience Nigeria in collaboration with 25 other Civil Society Organisations has lambasted the leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led by Ibrahim Magu on the agency’s partisanship in a civil matter between Chief Arthur Eze, an oil magnate and Dr Ngozi Olejeme, former Chairman of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) which is already before a court of competent jurisdiction in Abuja.
The group led by Mohammed Hussein at a World Press Conference in Abuja condemned the action of EFCC officials who stormed the house of Olejeme at 6am on Saturday for unlawful harassment and intimidation of a respected citizen allegedly on the orders of Chief Eze in collaboration with Magu even though the matter is already before an Abuja High Court with processes completed and served on all parties.
“When has the EFCC become a judge in a matter that is already before our respected lordships for adjudication? We are amazed at the brazen action of the officials that came with so much force and intimidation of a law abiding citizen”, the group said.
It will be recalled that some time early this year, Chief Eze had alleged that the former NSITF Chairman had gotten a loan of $2.8 million from him and another N240 million naira to prosecute her gubernatorial campaign in 2014 with a promise to pay back, a claim Olejeme has vehemently denied.
“We don’t want to believe the assertion of the Director General of State of State Security Services that the EFCC now operates on gossips and rumor mongering to harass perceived enemies in its operations, at his submission at a National assembly investigative hearing”, the CSOs declared.
They went ahead to demand for the sack of Magu and the appointment of another head for the agency. “We therefore call on Mr President to call Magu to order and equally stop the media trial of perceived suspects and concentrate on prosecuting cases to a logical conclusion. We appeal to Mr President to get a responsible head to man the agency because of it’s strategic importance to the war on corruption which is dear to this administration. We certainly cannot continue this way.
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