TheCable

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is investigating eight judges and two court registrars on allegations of corruption.

Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the EFCC, said this while reacting to a publication that said “the office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation, frustrated by the alleged tardiness of the EFCC in handling petitions forwarded to it, now sends the same cases to the DSS”.

While denouncing the aforementioned claim, he said one of the judge’s name whose house was one of those raised by the DSS, had come up in a petition to the commission on allegations of corruption.

“In this regard, EFCC is currently investigating eight (8) judges and two (2) court registrars,” Uwujaren said.

“Some of the suspects who have been invited have made useful statements that have been of great assistance to the investigations.  In due course, those who have cases to answer would be arrested and charged to court.

“EFCC wishes to put on record, that there is no friction with the office of the AGF and the Commission is not involved in inter-agency squabbles with the DSS.

“Indeed, the Commission, along with the DSS, ICPC, Police and the office of the AGF, is a member of a technical committee that meets at the highest level of government to collaborate and coordinate strategies against corruption. The last such meeting was as recently as today.

“Further, it must be stated that of the seven judges who were subject of the DSS raids, only one of them previously featured in a petition on alleged corruption to the EFCC. Investigation into the petition had reached an advanced stage when one of the judges got a Federal High Court order to stop further investigation by the Commission. EFCC is still trying to vacate that order for the investigation to proceed unfettered.

“However, Nigerians deserve to know that the nature of professional investigation of financial crimes is highly discrete and not given to theatre. The subject usually does not know the Commission is amassing evidences against him or her for several months before the strike.

“Therefore, the notion that a petition is submitted today and the next things that follow are instant arrests, prosecution and convictions is highly misleading.”