Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko
A non governmental organization, NGO, the Human Rights Writers
Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Thursday accused the acting
chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
Ibrahim Magu of showing naked partisanship in cases of alleged
corruption involving a former national publicity secretary of the
opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, and
the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC,
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
HURIWA criticized the Magu-led EFCC for “confiscating all the
banking assets of the erstwhile spokesman of the PDP even when the
Court of competent jurisdiction has yet to convict him of any of
the charges instituted by the anti-graft body against the former
trenchant critic of President Muhammadu Buhari – Mr. Olisa
Metuh.”
In a statement issued by its national coordinator, Emmanuel
Onwubiko, HURIWA expressed shock that the “same EFCC had filed a
motion before a Federal High Court to stop it from granting
mandamus order compelling the EFCC to investigate and file charges
of corruption against the National Chairman of the National
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Comrade Adams Oshiomhole
for the purported theft of billions of public fund whilst he served
for eight years as the governor of Edo state under the All
Progressives Congress.”
HURIWA also expressed shock that Magu was still the “head of
EFCC and the Senate has no qualms passing EFCC’s budget and the
Secretary of the panel even when the President disrespected the
decision of the upper legislative chamber to disqualify Ibrahim
Magu from confirmation based on his indictment by the Department of
State Services.”
The body recalled that the Federal High Court, Abuja had ordered
the service of its processes on Oshiomhole over an alleged
financial malfeasance during his stewardship as governor of Edo
State.
HURIWA stated that Justice Anwuli Chikere gave the order while
ruling on an ex-parte application brought before the court by
Bishop Osadolor Ochei.
It further recalled that the application was seeking an order of
mandamus compelling the EFCC to arrest and commence criminal
proceedings against the ex-Labour leader for allegedly diverting
state funds for personal use.
The statement reads, “The ex-parte, with suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/628/
2018, and filed by Dr. West Idahosa on behalf of the plaintiff, has
Oshiomole and EFCC as first and second respondents.
“Idahosa, had while arguing the motion, urged the court to allow
the respondents to file their replies to the weighty allegations
against them.
“On the other hand, Ochei had on October 28, 2016, written the
EFCC over Oshiomhole, who was Edo governor between November 12,
2008 and November 11, 2016.
“While praying the court to grant the request of his client,
Idahosa referred the court to 86 exhibits filed in support of the
application, stressing that there were documents and graphics of
palatial houses of the ex-governor whose his life earnings, he
contended, couldn’t acquire.
“He said there were evidence on how the APC national chair
allegedly diverted money meant for state projects to his.
“The counsel added that there were vouchers of exorbitant
airfares that the NLC’s erstwhile boss incurred, which according to
him, could get Edo people an air carrier.
“The lawyer also claimed that there were receipts of how he used
huge state funds to repair his private vehicles, urging the court
to grant the sought reliefs.
“Consequently, the judge adjourned till October 23 for arguments
from parties in the suit.”
HURIWA carpeted the EFCC for filing a purported motion to oppose
the “granting of the mandamus to compel it to do its statutory duty
of probing the extensively damaging allegations against the
National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress whereas
the same EFCC had obtained ‘jankara market’ court injunction to
confiscate the accounts of the former National spokesman of PDP as
if he has already been convicted even when the constitution in
section 36(5) provides that there must be fair hearing for all
suspects who are to be presumed innocent before the law until
contrary determination is reached by the competent court of
law.”
The group recalled that Metuh told the Federal High Court in
Abuja on Tuesday that the EFCC had on Monday frozen all his bank
accounts, and that he learnt of the no-debit order placed on his
account after his failed transaction on one of the accounts on
Tuesday.
Metuh told the court presided over by Justice Okon Abang that as
a result of the development, he could no longer feed his family or
buy things as common as water and pain-relieving medicine like
Panadol.
HURIWA also recalled that the EFCC is prosecuting Metuh and his
Destra Investments Limited, on seven counts of money laundering and
fraudulent receipt of N400m from the Office of the NSA on November
22, 2014, for the PDP’s campaign activities.
HURIWA criticized the “EFCC for not only refusing to investigate
the Presidential campaign funds of the pre-2015 opposition
Presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari just because he is the
appointing authority of the acting Chairman of EFCC.”
It said the “naked partisanship betrays the enabling law setting
up the EFCC as an institution which should carry out their
statutory duties without let or hindrance just as the group accused
the EFCC of protecting the APC’s national chairman who has come
under considerable accusations of fraud and bribery and had even
been interdicted twice by the Department of state services for
allegedly collecting $50 million USD during the just ended party
primaries of the APC.”
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