Yoruba Youth Council Urges Buhari To Probe EFCC Activities

The Yoruba Youth Council has condemned alleged discriminatory manner the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been prosecuting some eminent Nigerians without turning the anti-corruption searchlight on those close to the ruling government.

In a statement by its National President, Eric Oluwole, the group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Commission’s Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, to order in view of his alleged repeated brazen contempt of court and over-zealousness as regards deploying instruments of state to victimise highly-placed and respectable Nigerians.

According to the Council, President Buhari’s intervention is necessary against the backdrop of another allegation trending in some online media that Bawa had failed to investigate a pending allegation of diversion of funds against the director-general of a federal agency because three of the EFCC chairman’s siblings were enjoying ‘scholarships’ from the DG that ought to have been investigated over alleged shady deals, ranging from blatant corruption and diversion of public funds to abuse of office.

At a media briefing organised by the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) and Civil Society Partners, the Executive Director of CPA, Olufemi Lawson, reportedly called on Buhari to step into the matter and direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to take over the case to get to the root of the matter.

According to him, CPA was surprised that the said DG openly challenged the EFCC to investigate him and make public its findings, adding that after over a year, no action has been taken by the EFCC on the matter.

Lawson also disclosed that it was during the waiting period that the coalition stumbled on the possible reasons the allegations against the DG may have been swept under the carpet by the EFCC.

Besides, he said that some cases of alleged corruption that should have been concluded by the EFCC still remain inconclusive.

The civil society body also reportedly called on the National Assembly, especially the Senate, to ask the EFCC chairman to step aside, while a thorough investigation is carried out to unravel the mystery behind the ‘scholarships’ given to his siblings by the DG of this federal agency.

It urged President Buhari to order the ICPC to take over and commence an investigation into the alleged corruption leveled against the said director-general of the federal agency.