NBA Warri Petitions I-G over Killing of Two Members

Warri Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) over the gruesome killing last week of two lawyers at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State while on their way to the court.

The lawyers are demanding that justice be done in the case involving two of their defenceless, law-abiding colleagues, Messrs Horace Eguono Dafioghor and Samuel Ekuwangju who were shot dead en route to the High Court Ozoro for a ruling in the petition filed by the deceased.

The late lawyers, who were both from the Whytfort Jurisconsult Chambers located on Udu Road, Ovwian Town in Delta State, were initially simply said to be handling a certain "high-profile case" when they were gunned down in cold blood.

Details to follow

APC asks CJN to sanction judge

 

The All Progressives Congress on Tuesday asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, to sanction Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja  for engaging in mischief capable of bringing the  Bench into disrepute.

The party accused Ademola of going beyond “the reliefs” sought by the ruling  Peoples Democratic  Party  in its suit by restraining  its lawmakers  from engaging in any act that could lead to a change of leadership in  the House of Representatives.

It, however, said in a statement by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that  it was wrong for anyone  to insinuate that Ademola  ordered   its lawmakers who defected from the   Peoples Democratic Party to vacate their seats in the House.

According to the party,  the judge lacked the competence to  deliver such a verdict since the issue of whether or not the lawmakers  could  defect was not before him.

The  party  said it would  appeal the ruling  since Ademola’s perpetual injunction  was  not only unconstitutional, but also defeated  the very purpose for which the legislators were elected into the House.

“Justice Ademola’s unsolicited comments were clearly gregarious, unnecessary, and superfluous and have no foundation in law or fact, hence should be ignored,” it advised.

The statement partly reads,“APC asked the CJN  to act urgently to sanction Justice Ademola for engaging in mischief that could bring the Bench into disrepute.

“If this case had been issued a day later than Monday, we would have said the judge was caught in the web of April fool. Alas, he indeed made the ruling on Monday, hence the need for us to take it very seriously for several reasons.

“Firstly, the question whether the House of Representatives members should vacate their seats was not a question before Justice Ademola for determination.

“The only question for him to determine was whether the APC members, with their numerical strength at that time, had the right to change the House leadership such as the Majority Leader, Chief Whip and their deputies. So, Justice Ademola had no business commenting on seats being vacated.”

The APC also said it was  highly unprofessional and unethical for a judge to delve into a matter that  was  subjudice in another court.

It  stated that the question of seats being vacated or otherwise was  being heard by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the same  Federal High Court in Abuja, who on  March 29,  2014, said the issue was still   before him and was  not ripe for judgment.

The APC recalled that it had on December  14, 2013 warned against any attempt by the PDP and the Presidency to turn back the hands of the clock as far as the cleaning up of the Judiciary  was concerned, by inducing a   disreputable judge to do its bidding.

The party urged its supporters not to panic as the judgment was clearly intended to cause mischief, adding that the plan by the PDP and the Presidency had  fallen like a pack of cards.

Also in Abuja, the Minority Whip of the House, Mr. Sampson Osagie, accused Ademola of taking sides with the PDP-led Federal Government in delivering the judgment.

Osagie, who led members of the APC caucus  to a news conference  shortly after the House rose on Tuesday, also accused the judge of    overstepping  his bounds by “injecting opinions” not sought in the originating suit .

He  recalled that all that the PDP sought in the case was to restrain the lawmakers from effecting a change in the leadership of the House.

He noted that the PDP had hinged the prayer on the fear that by APC’s growing numerical strength in the House, its  lawmakers  could change the leadership of the House.

The lawmaker  argued that the judge’s action had made Nigerians to give several interpretations to the verdict.

“The only import of the judgment is that the defected lawmakers  cannot participate in the removal of the leadership of the House. There is nothing more to it; the judge was not called to offer any other personal opinion,” Osagie added.

He said,  “Our colleagues have appealed the judgment, a copy of which has been served on the House.”

The  legislator described the development as an act of “desperation” by the PDP to cling on to power in the face of the opposition by the APC.

“What we are experiencing is the high-handedness of a ruling PDP government that is desperate to hang on to power”, he said.

He assured Nigerians that the APC would remain focused in the face of the alleged manipulation by the PDP to hold on to power.

The PDP caucus remained calm on Tuesday, contrary to expectations that its  members would raise the matter on the floor.

The session started and ended without a mention of the court judgment.

The only noticeable reaction on the floor was that the PDP members were seen jeering jokingly at some of the  defected  lawmakers, urging them to “return home.”

The APC members were heard responding, “no shaking”, “no going back”, “APC for life” and “forget the  PDP.”

However, The PUNCH gathered that the calmness in the PDP  camp was due to a few minutes meeting the members held preceding the sitting.

At the meeting, which was convened by the Majority Leader of the House, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, the caucus reportedly reviewed the  judgment and agreed to maintain calm until they had been served with a copy of the judgment.

“There is no point taking any hasty decisions without first being served a copy of the judgment officially,” a member of the caucus  told The PUNCH.

When contacted on why the caucus was silent on the judgment, the  Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, replied that further reactions would await the service of the judgment.

Ogor said, “We are waiting to be served a copy of the judgment.  We don’t have a copy for now served formally on us.”

Asked whether his position was the  outcome  of the meeting held before the sitting, he replied, “That is what I am telling you.  We have not been served with the copy of the judgment.”

Efforts made by our correspondents  to get the  PDP   spokesperson, Chief Olisa Metuh, to comment on the verdict were not successful.

Metuh, who was said to be attending a retreat in Bayelsa State, did not  pick his call.

He also  did not respond to a text message sent to his mobile telephone  line.

LAWYER OF THE WEEK : FUNKE ADEKOYA

 
Funke Adekoya, the managing partner at AELEX Legal Practitioners and Arbitrators is a seasoned legal practitioner.  In recognition of her track record of success in the legal sector, Adekoya was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2001, the 5th woman to be so honoured with the highest rank in legal practice. A woman of great intellect, she was appointed Notary Public in 1986 and voted as the Most Outstanding Female Legal Practitioner of the Year 2007 by Financial Standard Newspaper and Women Entrepreneurs African Network. She is a member of the Body of Benchers since 1999 and was privileged to become a Life Bencher in March 2007.

FG to Set up Special Court to Try Pipeline Vandals, Power Station Saboteurs

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, yesterday disclosed the decision of the federal government to set up a special court to try pipeline vandals in the country.

Okupe, who disclosed this at the end of a one-day summit for all State Publicity Secretaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, said the establishment of the special court to facilitate quick prosecution of vandals and saboteurs would also be backed by a decision for troop deployment to areas prone to pipeline vandalism.

Okupe said though the repairs on the vandalised and blown gas pipelines had commenced throughout the country in order to restore regular supply to the existing power plants and raise the power generated up to the targeted 7,000 mega watts, the war against vandals and saboteurs would be executed in line with the ongoing security action against insurgency and terrorism in some parts of the nation.

According to him: "These people have resolved to continue to play a dangerous political game. They know that all things being equal, President Jonathan will deliver on the promise of regular power supply, and once he does that, the people will vote him into office for second term. Those who are unrelenting at querying the capability of the president to deliver have resolved to sabotage the effort and destroy the Nigerian dream."

"When I spoke with the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, James Olotu and was told that inaugurating or not, the power plants are not operational due to lack of gas supply. The $16billion project lies in waste due to lack of gas supply.

“They want to kill the Nigerian dream and this is why the president has not been able to deliver on his promise. If the saboteurs had allow the transformation plan to be operational, we would have hit the target of generating over 300 per cent of what was generated in the past. In all these, they are not only aiming at the President but trying to kill the dream of regular power supply to the people."

He noted that the preliminary investigation conducted by the federal government had shown that the saboteurs, suspected to be members of opposition political parties and groups, are ready to lay their lives down to frustrate the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in the power sector.

Okupe however, announced that the security action planned against vandals and saboteurs may last between six and eight weeks.

"This period will be the lowest for the nation in terms of power generation. When the battle is started and the repairs completed, more power projects will become operational and power supply will improve."

On the proposed conversion of Liquefied Natural Gas for domestic use and power generation, Okupe, said the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) had commenced arrangement for the domestication of the LNG with the proposed building of conversion plants close to the existing NIPP plants.

Civil Servant Files For Divorce Because His Wife Is HIV Positive

A 38-year-old civil servant, Silas Dodo, has prayed an Upper Area Court in Mararraba, Nasarawa State,  to dissolve his marriage with his wife because she is HIV-positive.

Dodo, who lives at Masaka, Nasarawa State, told the court on Tuesday that he wanted to divorce his 35-year-old wife, he married in 2007.

He told the court that his wife was found to be HIV-positive following a recent test they had.

Dodo also told the court that he met his wife in 2002 at the Federal University of Technology, Yola, and they married in 2007 in a church.

He said both he and his wife were screened on the church’s directive for HIV before their wedding, and the result indicated they were HIV-negative.

According to him, not too long after their marriage, his sexual relationship with his wife deteriorated as she started denying him of sex.

The complainant said his wife was always falling sick, a condition that compelled him to take her to several health centres for test where she was found to be HIV-positive.

He said when he found that she was HIV-positive he instructed his lawyer to write her and his church.

Dodo told the court his wife later packed out of their matrimonial home in Masaka and went to live on her own at Auta Balaifi.

He tendered the result of the various tests on his wife to buttress his claim.

In her response the woman, who was not represented by a counsel, admitted that the HIV test results tendered by her husband were genuine.

Counsel to the complainant, Mr Elisah Onaji, therefore urged the court to adjourn the case to another date.

The presiding officer, Mr Vincent Gwahemba, adjourned the matter till March 31 for continuation of hearing..

Judge discontinues hearing abduction case

An Onitsha High Court in Anambra on Tuesday discontinued hearing an abduction case between the state and three suspects involving the kidnapping of a leading transporter, Chief Godwin Okeke.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Chudi Nwankwo, said that he took the decision, due to what he described as unnecessary plan by counsel to the accused to frustrate his resolve for quick dispensation of justice.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. It is like counsel is trying to frustrate this matter,’’ he said.
Earlier, Nwankwo had ordered the display of various arms and ammunition recovered from the suspects.
The arms and ammunition tendered include: five AK 47 rifles; two GPMG rifles; one rocket launcher, five rocket propellers; three rockets; 5830 AK 47 ammunition and 1,135 rounds of GPMG rifle ammunition.
Others are 124 empty AK 47 magazines; one K2 rifle; two K2 empty magazines and one K2 round loaded magazine.
However, disagreement ensued when counsel to the first and second accused persons, Mr Okechukwu Odum and Mr David Nwafor, told the court that weapons tendered as evidence should not be admitted in evidence by the court as they were not relevant to the charges against their clients.
Countering the submission, Mr Chris Ajugwe, the State Prosecutor, told the court that the weapons were tendered in the course of investigation.
Ajugwe said that the third defendant admitted that the weapons tendered were used in kidnapping Okeke.
“The delay in hearing the matter is purposely to frustrate the case,’’ he said.
As counsel continued to argue after a stretch of time that the demand to tender, document and admit the weapons was irrelevant; Nwankwo ordered that the case be sent to the Onitsha administrative judge.
“With your ploy to frustrate me, I hereby send this case out of my court,’’ Nwankwo said, as he referred the case to the Onitsha Administration Judge for re-assignment to another court.

Lekki-Ikoyi bridge: Lagos files appeal against court judgment

The Lagos State Government has formally appealed against the judgment of a Federal High Court, which barred the state government from collecting tolls on the new Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge.
The court presided by Justice  Saliu Saidu had on March 27, 2014  held that there was no law to cover the toll being collected by Lagos State Government.
Lagos lawyer Ebun Adegboruwa had sued the Lagos state over its decision to collect tolls on the bridge.
Adegboruwa had sought an order of the court declaring collection of tolls on the bridge illegal.
In the notice of appeal dated Friday, March 28, 2014 and filed on the same date, Lagos State Government is challenging the decision arrived at by the Federal High Court to the effect that the payment by its contractors to National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was an admission by the State that the Federal Government had constitutional or legislative authority to regulate inland waterways throughout the country.
The appeal was filed by the Solicitor General, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN).
In its appeal, the State Government urged the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision of the Federal High Court which declared that there was no law enacted by the Lagos State House of Assembly authorising the State to impose tolls on public infrastructure in the State.
It argued that the Lagos State Public Private Partnership Law No. 2 of 2011 clearly empowers the Government to specify the service charges, user fees or tolls which are payable in respect of designated public infrastructure or public assets.
In addition to the Notice of Appeal, the State Government by an application dated and filed on Mach 28, 2014 in the Federal High Court, is praying for an order to stay the execution of the judgment delivered in the suit.
It urged the court   to restrain the Respondents from giving effect to the judgment delivered by Justice Saidu of the Federal High Court pending the determination of the appeal filed against the said judgment.
Pedro said the processes have been served on all the parties to the suit and Thursday, April 3, 2014 has been fixed by the Appeal Section of the Federal High Court for settlement of record of proceedings.
He however said that no date has been fixed for the hearing of its application for stay of execution

G.O.K. Ajayi may be buried May 29

The remains of legal icon, Chief Godwin Olusegun Kolawole (G.O.K.) Ajayi (SAN), who died last weekend, may be buried on May 29 in his home town, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
He would have been 83 on that day.
Family sources said yesterday that Ajayi instructed his eldest daughter, Tola, on how he wanted to be buried. She was said to have flown into the country from Canada, following her father’s death.
Ajayi’s burial site could not be confirmed yesterday, whether it would be the Anglican Communion Church cemetery or his house at the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ijebu Ode.
The deceased’s ancestral home is at Itantebo quarters in Ijebu Ode.
Sources, said yesterday, at his home in Surulere, Lagos that Ajayi was taken to three hospitals between January 25, when he became ill and March 29, when he died.
They said while in the hospitals, he read law books, which he sent his aides to bring either from his library at home or from his office.
Mr. Kehinde Okuneye, who spoke on behalf of the family, said they were meeting and making arrangements on how to give him a befitting funeral.
He said Ajayi was a senior member of the Anglican Communion and that he served the primate of the church several times as the registrar.
His widow, Mrs. Margret Olayinka Ajayi, said her friend and companion was gone.
Mrs. Ajayi, who spoke through one of her relations, Mrs. Mojoyin Adetona-Thomas, said they were married for 52 years.
She described the late senior advocate as her best friend, companion, brother and husband.
Mrs. Ajayi said she would miss him for his companionship and friendship.
President Goodluck Jonathan, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Senate Leader Ndoma Egba and others yesterday eulogised the late Ajayi.
Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, extended condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and associates, and to Nigerians, whose cause and rights he defended.
The President urged them to “be consoled that the deceased lived a fulfilled life and would even in death, continue to serve as a model of dedication to truth, equity and justice.”
Tambuwal, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mallam Imam Imam, said Ajayi was a disciplinarian, whose work would be cherished for a long time.
He described his death as a huge loss to the legal profession in particular and the nation in general.
Tambuwal said: “GOK Ajayi was an advocate’s advocate and a legal titan. Although he made his name as a lawyer, his charisma, brilliance and philanthropy stood him out as a humanist, who used his deep knowledge of the law to better the society.”
The Speaker prayed God to give his family and loved ones the fortitude to bear the loss.
Fayemi described the demise of Ajayi as the end of a chapter, which shaped the legal profession.
The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, said Ajayi’s place in the annals of the evolution of democracy was eternally-secured.
Describing the octogenarian as a fearless lawyer and the people’s advocate, Fayemi said he chose to stay on the side of the people by defending the mandate given to the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola in the court at the risk of his life.
He noted that Ajayi was an inspiration to Abiola and other pro-democracy activists in the struggle to re- validate the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election widely acknowledged as the freest and fairest in the nation’s history.
Amosun recalled the roles Ajayi played in high profile cases.
“I remember the controversial issue of 12 2/3 in the Awolowo vs Shagari case over the 1979 Presidential Election, the Abdul Rahman Shugaba vs Minister of Internal Affairs suit and the legal battle of the late Chief Abiola, following the annulment of the June 12 election, among others, which are still reference points till today.”
The Ogun governor said he joined members of the bar and the bench and other Nigerians to mourn the passing of “this last colossus of first generation of Nigerian lawyers.”
“He was a progressive lawyer and that explained his closeness to the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. His death is a great loss to the legal community,” he said.
Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) described the death of Ajayi as the “end of a great legal titan.”
Said he: “The late Ajayi was a great legal mind; a titan of the profession in every sense. His grasp of ‘The Law of Evidence’ was legendary. He was a fine gentleman.”

Appeal Court Orders Retrial of El-Rufai's Case

The Court of Appeal in Abuja yesterday ordered the Federal High Court to re-hear the fundamental human rights enforcement case against the Senate filed by a former Minister of the Federal capital Territory (FCT),  Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. The court set aside the judgment of the lower court which had in 2010 thrown out the case.

Ruling in favour of el-Rufai, the court directed the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to appoint another judge to hear the case.

The original suit was filed in August 2008 to challenge the decisions and recommendations of the Senate committee established to hold investigative public hearings on the affairs of the FCT between 1999 and 2007, but which essentially targeted el-Rufai.

The committee invited el-Rufai as a witness and not as a defendant. But in its report, the committee went ahead to recommend punishment and other sanctions against el-Rufai without making available to him the petitions against him, or placing before him any instances of violations of the law for his response.

By acting in this prejudicial manner, the Senate committee, and eventually the entire Senate in accepting the committee's recommendations, had violated el-Rufai's constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The former minister therefore approached the courts to defend and uphold his rights.
He sued the Senate and five other parties: the Senate president, Senator Sodangi, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Minister of the FCT and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The respondents did not dispute the substance of these rights violations but they resorted to legal technicalities.

They told the trial court that el-Rufai's legal action came too late because it was not filed within three months of "the commencement of the breach" as required by the Public Officers Protection Act. They further claimed that all the defendants are public officers, and are therefore protected by the Act against such actions.

Justice M. G. Umar agreed with their arguments. On March 11, 2010, he declined to hear the substantive case of the violation of el-Rufai's fundamental rights, deciding that it was 'statute-barred'.
Bamidele Aturu, counsel to El Rufai, disagreed and lodged an appeal at the Court of Appeal.
After four years of legal arguments, the appellate court decided the appeal yesterday. The panel of three justices unanimously decided that the trial judge erred in ruling that any statute is capable of abridging fundamental rights. They therefore allowed the appeal and directed that the suit be remitted back to another judge of the Federal High Court to hear the substantive suit.

While  reacting to the decision, el-Rufai said: "This judgment is another contribution to human rights jurisprudence in this country. We are gratified that the Court of Appeal saw through attempts by public officers to avoid responsibility for their abuse of the rights of citizens using various stratagems.

EFCC: More Judges under Investigation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Thursday said more judges are under its watch list, with some facing investigation and others being charged for corruption.

Speaking to journalists at a news conference at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the commission in recent times had expedited action in prosecuting corrupt judges in the judiciary.

According to him, “the commission has in the past few weeks stepped up investigation into cases of alleged corruption in the judiciary. As we speak, some prominent judicial officers have been quizzed while others have been invited for interrogation.”

Uwujaren explained that “at this stage of investigation, it will be premature to state details as the charges are still mere allegations,” stressing that the facts and the judiciary officers involved would be made public “once prima facie cases have been established.”

According to him, “by the time we start mentioning names now, it will jeopardise our investigations. I crave your indulgence to exercise patience, whenever we are through with our investigations, we will get back to you. All I can say is that we have invited some and some will soon be invited,” he maintained.

He declined to comment on the position of the EFCC on the case of Justice Gladys Olotu who was recently retired as a judge as a result of gross misconduct. Uwujaren, at the briefing, informed journalists that though he had learnt of an injunction preventing the commission from arresting Olotu, but rather maintained that, the injunction will not stop the work of the commission.

“I learnt that there is an injunction, I have not seen it myself, what we are doing now is investigation, and I don’t think that order covers investigation and prosecution.”

While substantiating the facts regarding the recurring scandals rocking the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Uwujaren said: “On the unremitted $20 billion, we are waiting for the National Assembly to conclude its investigations on the matter. The outcome of their investigations will shed more light on the exact figure that is missing. I appeal to you to be patient, once the National Assembly finishes their work, you can be rest assured that something will done.”

Speaking against the backdrop of the emergence of former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose as the governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections who is also facing alleged corruption charges, EFCC spokesman said the decision to bar a candidate who is under corruption charges is squarely the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“I think that question should be directed to INEC and not the EFCC. EFCC is not statutorily charged with clearing candidates for an election. It is the electoral umpire that can clear candidates and determine whether one is fit and proper to contest an election.  It is for INEC to look at the background of the candidate that is featuring in an election and determine whether that candidate is suitable or otherwise.” Uwujaren said.

The commission also gave an insight into the confiscation of properties belonging to one of the culprits in the pension scam, Dr. Shuaibu Teidi, a former director in the Office of the Head of Service. He said EFCC was able to “push for an asset forfeiture process that resulted in the final forfeiture of Brifina Hotel to the federal government.”

“The hotel was among the assets seized from Teidi, the property located at Plot 1106 Cadastral Zone BO2, Durumi District, Abuja was allegedly acquired by Teidi through his company Badawulu Ventures for N339 million with proceeds from crime.”

He said though the accused denied ownership of the confiscated property, the previous owner was able to expose the accused leading to the granting of the forfeiture by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.”

On other issues concerning recovery, the commission stressed that the issue of return of assets seized from former governor of Bayelsa State Dieprieye Alamiyeseigha was a ‘needless controversy.’

Uwujaren stated that “it is indeed unfortunate some people decided to stir a needless controversy in an otherwise settled matter. I am sure some of you were witnesses in 2010 precisely in July 10, 2010 when the assets recovered from Alamieyeseigha were handed over to the Bayelsa State Government. Timipre Sylva, then governor of the state was on hand to receive the assets which included Chelsea Hotel, Abuja from former Chairman of EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri.

“In all, assets valued at N3.1 billion; $441,000; 7000 euros and 2000 pounds were returned to Bayelsa State Government. The commission acted professionally in the management and return of these assets in line with the order of the Federal High Court, Lagos which convicted the now pardoned former governor.”

Following in the same light, the commission has also declared wanted one of the suspects involved in the fuel subsidy scam. The suspect, Suen Ogunbambo is wanted for several charges. The EFCC spokesman contended that much as Ogunbambo is on the run, “he has become a fugitive from the law, having failed to present himself for trial after he was granted bail by the court.”

He pointed out that “Ogunbambo, alongside his company Nasama Oil, Christian Taylor and Mamman Nasir are standing trial for allegedly obtaining N5.46 billion from the Federal Government, by a false claim that the sum represented subsidy accruing to them under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 61,049,937 litres of premium motor spirit.”

However, the commission frowned on the frequent waves of attacks on its staff and operatives, warning that any further case of infringement on its staff, the EFCC would no longer tolerate such attacks.

Citing an incident that occurred recently where one of the operative was almost killed at Gbagada Estate, Lagos; the commission said it happened when a suspect was escaping from arrest.

The EFCC said it would not relent in its efforts to rid the country of graft despite “the hazards which operatives of the commission face in the discharge of their duties.