Media trial: Agbakoba cautions EFCC, challenges presidential candidates

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), yesterday called on presidential candidates to show their commitment to promote the rule of law and the war against corruption  He condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he described as an “unwarranted media trial” of the Kogi State government […]

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), yesterday called on presidential candidates to show their commitment to promote the rule of law and the war against corruption

 He condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he described as an “unwarranted media trial” of the Kogi State government in the fresh case against a nephew of Governor Yahaya Bello and the previous N20 billion bailout controversy.  

Agbakoba, who spoke at a press conference in Lagos on “The Rule of Law in Nigeria Today”, said how a state spends its money should not be the business of the anti-graft agency.  

“What the EFCC is currently doing is turning itself into a one-man Robin Wood riot gang. That must not be allowed and that is the impunity that I refer to.  

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“My advice to the EFCC is that whatever they want to do, they should remember that there is a law that created them and they must also remember that Section 46 of the EFCC Act had stated and narrowed down their functions and in a case where they want to expand their functions, they must go to the National Assembly to do so,” he said. 

He recommended that the prosecutorial power of the EFCC should be transferred to a new national prosecution agency, adding, “The Department of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice could be carved out and made independent to perform this role.”