SENIOR LAWYERS, JOURNALISTS FRUSTRATING WAR ON CORRUPTION – EFCC
The Actin
g Chairman,Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, says senior lawyers and journalists are frustrating the war on corruption.
The EFCC acting chairman stated this in Abuja on Tuesday when a coalition of civil society groups (CSOs) staged a solidarity protest to the EFCC headquarters.
According to Magu” When we have cases of wicked people who have stolen Nigeria’s money, they run to these same senior lawyers, give them part of the stolen money and mobilise them to fight us, to delay us in court and to deny Nigerians of justice. These are the p
eople who do not want justice for the common man.”
“They represent wicked people who have stolen money meant to build hospitals, buy drugs and equip our soldiers to fight Boko Haram.”
“Corrupt people hire journalists to abuse us every day; they say we are not doing the work according to the law. But, that is not true,”There is no agency that follows the law more than EFCC. Before we arrest you, or seize your property or do anything to you, we check the law, we go to court and get court order.”
“The other day, 34 Senior Advocates of Nigeria fought against only one small EFCC lawyer in court and he defeated all of them! What we are doing today is not by our power, it is the power of the Nigerian people and the power of God behind us!” Magu said
Magu assured that the days of impunity were over in the country, adding that the commission was being guided by no other rule than the rule of law.
“We want the Nigerian people to continue to support us; continue to support Mr. President’s war against corruption, “We have many corruption cases in court. We are getting them every day from everywhere and we are recovering stolen money and taking corrupt people to court”.
“The money we have recover
ed and the money we are going to get back from them -billions and billions of Naira- is being paid back to government and will be used to do what it was originally meant for -to build hospitals, send our children to school, build roads and railways, create employment and defend our country, he added.
