The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has again chided the leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition politicians for accusing it of hounding only their members.
The anti-graft agency specifically stated that the commission would not succumb to blackmail or be railroaded into inconclusive investigations merely to appear non-selective in its operations.
The spokesman of the commission, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Monday, maintained that the agency’s mandate was to tackle corruption, whether perpetrated by individuals from ruling or opposition parties or organisations.
Daily Trust reports that on Saturday, both the EFCC and the ADC clashed over the continued detention of a former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, in the agency’s custody.
Malami, a leading figure in the opposition coalition, had been in the EFCC’s custody since last week Monday.
ADC faulted the revocation of the bail earlier granted to Malami and questioned the political neutrality of the agency, warning the agency against politicising its anti-graft war, saying doing so amounted to corruption.
But the EFCC, in a statement issued on Monday, challenged the ADC leaders and other opposition politicians to come forward and prove to the world that those arrested and prosecuted did not perpetrate any offence.
“Where is persecution in asking a suspect of corrupt practice to account for his sleaze? Is stealing, embezzlement of public funds, contract fraud, money laundering, and other corrupt practices excusable for some?
“Corruption has no gender, religion, tribe, political party or other extraneous alignment. Selective outrage cannot be a defence against criminal investigation for graft,” Oyewale said.
He maintained that what threatened democracy was not the EFCC doing its job, but the attempt to intimidate or blackmail it into abandoning investigation allegations against corrupt opposition politicians for fear of accusations of selectivity.
Oyewale added, “The commission finds the insinuation made by opposition politicians that ‘there is a discernible pattern of persecution of the opposition by the EFCC with the sole objective of weakening same for the benefit of the ruling APC’ quite untenable.
“What the so-called opposition politicians are seeking to achieve in this assault against the EFCC is far from altruistic, but a veiled attempt to confer immunity from prosecution for alleged corruption on politicians who suddenly find themselves in the opposition.
“This gambit is alien to the Nigerian constitution and the enabling law of the commission, both of which compel mandatory action against any evidence of graft irrespective of the position and political inclinations of the accused.
“The commission won’t succumb to blackmail or be railroaded into inconclusive investigations just to be seen to be non-selective in its operations.
“An amendment to the enabling act to assuage the whims of a disgruntled section of the political class calls for circumspection as it is not likely going to be in the national interest.”
