Sagay, Falana Have Hijacked EFCC – Group

BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – A group, Buhari Northern Youth Awareness Forum, has accused the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay and Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, of hijacking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for selfish gains.

The group alleged that the EFCC, under Ibrahim Magu, was taking directives from Senator Bola Tinubu over who to probe, which has resulted in the probe of only Northerners and led to the exoneration of offenders from the South-west zone.

Coordinator of the group, Comrade Muhammad Lawal, made the accusations at a press conference in Kaduna on Monday, on the activities of EFCC.

According to him, “We believed that, EFCC under Magu is being directed, stirred and decision made by Tinubu only violating directives from minister of Justice of the Federation and defying rules of the Constitution which is clearly showing distrustfulness and disrespect to Mr President and his administration

“More shocking is the fact that the EFCC is muscle by men of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption (PACC), like Prof. Itse Sagay and some lawyers under the guise of Human Right like Falana And their cohorts.

“They have constituted themselves into authority in deciding who is corrupt and who is not, thereby unilaterally deciding who EFCC should invite, investigate and/or prosecute without due regard to rule of law or constitutionalism.

“It is known that corruption in past administrations is universal and, therefore, perpetrated by people across ethnic, regional and religious divides, unfortunately what we witness now is the fact that fighting corruption and corrupt people was done against some people in the North while exonerating perpetrators from the west.

“It’s a known fact that the administration of Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari comes in to power with integrity and desire to fight corruption at all levels in the country.

“We remember in 2015 when we followed Mr. President to every nooks and crannies of the country where we promise fighting corruption which is the country’s worst nightmare.

“Therefore, it is very unfortunate to see how some people whom Mr President entrusted with fighting corruption where undermining the change agenda of present administration.

“In particular we have observed how the institution like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has engage in selective investigations and prosecution of people who are perceived to be against the interests of people.”

The group, however, welcomed the president back to the country and thanked Nigerians for their patience, while Buhari was receiving treatments abroad.