The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has rejected claims by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, that the anti-corruption agency is being used by his political opponents to harass him and some officials of his administration.
In a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale on Friday, the EFCC described the governor’s allegations as “baseless, far-fetched and condemnable”, stressing that the commission is an independent, non-partisan institution established to deal with economic and financial crimes without fear or favour.
The governor had alleged that the EFCC was acting at the behest of political interests, especially the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
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However, the Commission said that such claims were an attempt to defame its integrity and misrepresent its statutory mandate.
“Attempts to portray the EFCC as a flexible agency that caters to the demands of certain political interests are mischievous,” the commission said.
It says no political official has the power to influence its investigative or prosecutorial activities.
The EFCC described it as “disgraceful” for Governor Mohammed to attribute its activities in Bauchi State to the influence of the FCT Minister, insisting that its actions are strictly guided by the law and evidence.
The Commission recalled that Bala Mohammed was already being prosecuted for money laundering before he was elected Governor of Bauchi State, noting that only the constitutional immunity attached to his current office prevented prosecution.
“If Bala Mohammed wanted to be honest, he would have told Nigerians that he was being prosecuted for money laundering at the time he won the election as governor,” the EFCC said.
“Who influenced the commission in 2016 to investigate him and charge him in court?” EFCC asked
On the ongoing cases involving some officials of the Bauchi State Government, the EFCC said the facts of the case have already been placed before a court of competent jurisdiction.
It urged members of the public to investigate the allegations themselves and determine whether the cases were the product of retaliation or the result of a thorough investigation.
The commission clarified that the charge mentioned Mohammed as the approving authority in the state, and said it was based on evidence unearthed during the investigation.
Responding to claims that the cases were an attempt to criminalize the regime or frame the case as terrorism financing, the EFCC said it was merely enforcing existing laws.
“Crying wolf on terrorism financing issues is like grasping at straws.
“The Commission did not invent the law, and where there are offenses punishable by existing laws, the EFCC will fail in its responsibility to do otherwise,” the statement said.
The anti-corruption agency also took a dig at what it described as selective outrage by politicians, noting that allegations of harassment are often raised only when opposition figures are involved.
“It is the height of hypocrisy for opposition politicians to cry foul over harassment whenever an opposition leader is held accountable, but to remain silent when a member of the ruling party faces the same ordeal,” the EFCC said.
It reported that it had recently convicted a senior member of the ruling party of alleged corruption without any similar charges.
The commission urged Governor Mohammed to focus on governance in Bauchi State and allow the EFCC to carry out its mandate to clean up Nigeria's financial system.
