TheCable

Some civil society organisations have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to fire Abdulrasheed Bawa, chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for contempt.

On Monday, R.O. Ayoola, the presiding judge of a high court sitting in Kogi state, ordered that Bawa should be arrested and sent to the Kuje correctional centre for two weeks without any delay over contempt.

He ordered the inspector-general of police (IGP) to ensure the committal order is executed, just as he awarded N10 million against the EFCC.

In a statement on Friday, in Lagos, the CSOs said it is a disturbing trend for the EFCC to disobey court orders.

The CSOs were led by Debo Adeniran, chairman, Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL); Kolawole Sanchez-Jude, executive director, Zero Graft Centre; Toyin Raheem, chairman, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance; Olufemi Lawson, executive director, Centre for Public Accountability; and Ahmed Balogun of Media Rights Concern.

Others include Ologun Ayodeji of
Transparency and Accountability Group; Declan Ihehaire, Activists for Good Governance; and Ochiaga Jude, Centre for Ethics and Good Governance.

“EFCC’s Gestapo-style regime of disobeying court orders must stop. Nigeria is not a banana republic. Attempts by institutions of state to ridicule the country and make it seem like a lawless fiefdom must be resisted by all. The EFCC seems to be allowing itself to be used as an instrument of political witch-hunt as it targets some individuals more than many others,” the CSOs said.

“Some of our organisations have submitted several petitions to the commission, which it has refused to act on even when you sit with them to reason on the merits of those petitions. Once there is a political interest, the whole processes of investigation and litigation become politicised.

“The commission seems only to act with gusto against perceived political enemies of some powerful political forces in the country rather than being neutral and professional. For instance, the Ogun state assembly speaker was bundled Gestapo-style to Abuja on corruption allegations while several similar petitions elsewhere have been left untouched by the commission. Where is the justice, the impartiality and the professionalism?

“This culture of impunity as consistently exhibited by the EFCC chairman continues to ridicule Nigeria in the comity of nations and sabotage efforts at attracting foreign direct investment. Investors only go to jurisdictions where the rule of law and respect for human rights are guaranteed while shunning countries where ‘rule of men’ predominate.”

On Thursday, the EFCC said it has appealed the ruling of the Kogi state high court that ordered Bawa’s remand.