The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has
explained the visit of its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu to the Chief Judge of
Rivers State on Monday. In a statement issued by the Spokesman of the EFCC,
Wilson Uwujaren on Tuesday, he said the visit was not connected to any of its
cases pending before the chief judge, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra.
Uwujaren said Magu’s visit to Iyayi-Lamikanra was a courtesy
call as part of his working visit to the headquarters of the South South zonal
office of the commission in Port Harcourt.
“Apart from the Chief Judge, Magu also visited the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed.“Indeed, it is a matter of routine courtesy for the EFCC boss to visit critical stakeholders, particularly law enforcement and justice sector leaders in zones where the commission maintain offices.“Such gestures are not meant to compromise or influence them to favour the commission in the discharge of their responsibilities,’’ he explained.
The EFCC spokesman said the clarification was in reaction to
a report in a national daily purporting that the visit was causing disquiet in
the state.
He quoting the report as saying “the state House of Assembly
is considering passing a resolution calling for the suspension of the chief
judge for receiving Magu’’.
Uwujaren said an anonymous source told the paper that the
lawmakers believed the visit had put the Chief Judge under pressure, and that
it was wrong for Magu to visit a judge over any case.
Uwujaren noted that the visit was pursuant to the
commission’s belief that it had a shared responsibility with other workers in
the justice delivery system to promote the fight against corruption.
According to him, visits such as this one offer the
commission the opportunity to share experiences and remind the hosts of their
responsibilities under the EFCC Act, especially as it concerns the designation
of judges to handle EFCC cases.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday“Justice Laminkara is not the first Chief Judge to host Magu and it will be distasteful to malign her over a civilised gesture of receiving a head of a federal agency.“Many judges have hosted Magu without a whimper from any quarter. Before now, the EFCC boss visited the Chief Judges of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States.“At the federal level, he has paid courtesy visits to the Chief Judges of the Federal High Court, the Federal Capital Territory High Court and the President of the Court of Appeal.“These visits have not stopped the commission from losing cases before judges under the supervision of these respected judicial officials,’’ he said.
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They have forgotten that Wike the governor of Rivers state has visited chief judge of the federation at injury time for his case which is at Supreme Court, but that time they have been telling people that the visit has no connection with his case, telling lies here and there, but PMB did not remove the judge. But see what they want to do now, what ever you tell them they will not agree. Shameless people.
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