We won’t be distracted in your prosecution, EFCC tells Saraki

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that no amount of media campaign against its acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, would truncate the prosecution of erstwhile Senate President Bukola Saraki over alleged corruption.

In a statement by its acting spokesperson, Tony Orilade, the anti-graft agency said: “The attention of the commission has been drawn to false claims made by the former senate president, who in the face of ongoing investigation against him here in Nigeria, seems to have chosen outside the shores of the country as the launch pad of his campaign of calumny against the EFCC and its leadership.

“We wish to state without any contradictions that the ongoing investigation against the one-time senate president and other politically-exposed persons (PePs) is on course while Saraki and his co-travellers will surely have their day in court shortly.”

Decrying a report yesterday in a national daily, the spokesman continued: “Saraki is deviously diverting attention from the weighty allegations of financial fraud trailing his eight-year stewardship in Kwara State and leadership of the Senate. Instead, he is coming up with mendacious reasons on why the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court should ignore the request of the EFCC, seeking the transfer of its cases from Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who curiously granted an ex-parte order to restrain the commission from performing its statutory duties. Incidentally, the EFCC has filed a detailed response against the judge’s restraining order and taken up issues over the controversial interim order.”

“While waiting for the careful response of the CJ over the commission’s request, we wish to advise the ex- senate president to carry his cross and allow the judiciary to perform its constitutional role. It is preposterous for Saraki to be raising issues on what transpired during the confirmation of the EFCC boss in 2016 when he is no longer in charge of the Senate in 2019.”