The Kogi government has accused the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) of being a “pawn in the hands of political opponents
in a bid to satisfy certain political interests”.
In a statement on Sunday, Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi commissioner
for information and communications, said the inspector-general of police (IGP)
should arrest Bawa and commit him to prison as “mandated by a competent court
of jurisdiction”.
BACKGROUND
On February 6, a high court sitting in Kogi ordered that
Bawa be remanded at the Kuje correctional centre over contempt of court.
R.O. Ayoola, the presiding judge, also ordered the IGP to
ensure the committal order was executed, and awarded N10 million against the
EFCC.
The committal order was issued over a case involving Ali
Bello, identified as the nephew of Yahaya Bello, Kogi governor.
On December 12, 2022, the judge ruled in favour of Bello over
his arrest and detention by the EFCC.
But days after the court order, the EFCC re-arrested and
re-arraigned Bello over alleged money laundering.
On February 8, the EFCC arraigned Rashida, wife of the Kogi
governor, and four others — including Ali Bello — over an 18-count charge
bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N3 billion.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge, while
Rashida is said to be at large.
‘EFCC HAS
INSTITUTIONAL AGENDA AGAINST KOGI’
In a statement on Sunday, Fanwo accused the EFCC of media
trial, adding that no amount of such would distract Yahaya Bello, Kogi
governor.
“Our attention has been drawn to series of press statements
and terribly woven media campaign against the Kogi State Government and the
Governor of Kogi State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” the
statement reads.
“It is sad that an agency charged with the responsibility of
fighting graft in the country has turned itself into a pawn in the hands of
political opponents with an untamed desperation to damage the integrity of the
Governor and the Government of Kogi State.
“The latest shenanigans of the EFCC is to accuse some
members of the Governor’s family of corruption, arrest them without any prior
invitation or warrant and against extant Court Orders restraining them from so
doing and charging them to court.
“This has further
exposed the uncivilised, unconstitutional and unethical practices of the
anti-graft agency.
“Their latest approach has further confirmed to Nigerians
that they have an institutional agenda against the Governor and Government of
Kogi State. Nigerians are wiser now and they know when an operation is
politically motivated.”
According to him, no funds are missing from the coffers of
the Kogi government.
“We reiterate that funds belonging to the Kogi State
Government are not missing and we retain our enviable status in the areas of
transparency, accountability and probity,” he said.
“The shadow chasing
by the EFCC and their known and unknown sponsors will not distract our
administration from serving our people.
“The seeming attack on Governors that are committed to the
victory of the APC Presidential Candidate by the anti-graft agency is well
understood by discerning Nigerians. No force can stop the voice of the people.
“Our decision to drag
the Federal Government to court over the hardship experienced by Nigerians as a
result of the apex bank’s monetary policies remains a conviction that we are
committed to. We will not succumb to intimidation by any agency of Government.
“We have credible intelligence of plans by Kogites to
protest against the EFCC for continually dragging the integrity of the state
and its Governor in the mud.
“We however beseech our people to remain calm but steadfast.
Rasheed Bawa, the EFCC Chairman, is not bigger than the law no matter his
degree of contempt for the Courts and constitutionalism. We will triumph.
“We hereby call on the Inspector General of Police who has
been served with the order of Court to immediately arrest Rasheed Bawa and
commit him to prison as mandated by a competent court of jurisdiction.
“Allowing convicts to roam about the society portends a great danger to our judicial system. Rasheed Bawa cannot be allowed to continue to disobey Court Orders at will while also evading justice. Let justice be done.”
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