The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that court orders are preventing
the Commission from investigating corruption cases in 10 states.
Olukoyede made this disclosure at the 6th EFCC/National
Judicial Institute, NJI, capacity-building workshop for justices and judges on
Monday in Abuja.
The theme of the workshop was ‘Integrating stakeholders in
curbing economic and financial crimes’.
However, the EFCC chairman did not mention the 10 states.
According to him, there is a need for synergy between
anti-graft agencies and the judiciary in the fight against corruption.
The EFCC boss further stated that the commission is battling
the issues of frequent adjournments of high-profile cases and conflicting court
orders in the prosecution of corruption.
“In spite of the energy and commitment of our judges in
resolving corruption cases across the country and measures such as practice
direction and designation of courts and judges to hear corruption matters,
there are still some areas of concern that need to be addressed urgently.
“The spectre of frequent adjournments of high-profile
corruption cases arising from frivolous applications, conflicting orders by
courts of coordinate jurisdiction in corruption cases, intemperate contempt
orders hauled at the commission’s leadership, and undue reliance on
technicality in deciding serious corruption cases, unwarranted orders of
injunction restraining the commission from investigating graft cases, are among
a plethora of issues that bother the EFCC, which should be on the table for
frank conversations over the next two days.
“The incidence of suspects facing criminal investigation
rushing to court to obtain orders of injunction restraining the commission from
inviting, investigating, interrogating, and arresting them, including some
state governments, has become rampant and worrisome,” he stated.
Last modified: October 8, 2024
