CSOs accuse EFCC of selective prosecution

A coalition of 30 anti-corruption civil society organizations have accused th Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been accused of selective prosecution in handling corruption cases, particularly concerning former Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. Under the auspices of the Global Initiative for Corruption Eradication (GICE), the groups said Ganduje, now the National Chairman of the […]

A coalition of 30 anti-corruption civil society organizations have accused th Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been accused of selective prosecution in handling corruption cases, particularly concerning former Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

Under the auspices of the Global Initiative for Corruption Eradication (GICE), the groups said Ganduje, now the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, has evaded prosecution multiple times.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Comrade Anthony Onoja, the CSOs recalled that the Kano High Court scheduled his arraignment on April 17, 2024, but he and his wife failed to appear, showing “blatant disregard for the law”.

He lamented that subsequent adjournments yielded the same result, with the judge eventually ruling that the defendants could be tried in absentia.

GICE criticised the EFCC for what it described as selective prosecution, allowing high-profile individuals to go scot-free while targeting vulnerable political figures.

While expressing support for President Tinubu’s efforts to combat corruption, the group warned against undermining his rule with unpopular actions.

“The EFCC cannot engage in a just fight against corruption, starting from within its ranks, they should stop molesting vulnerable political figures,” the statement said.

“It is high time we saddled people with the real responsibilities of tackling corruption in Nigeria and not executing dangerous political survival strategies for paymasters.

“Finally, our group is of the considered view that perhaps if the EFCC in its current form is disbanded because of its constitutional illegality as pointed out by the states in the current case against the efcc in the Apex Court, it would be able to perform its real functions of stamping out corruption when it’s law is properly enacted.”