Date Published: 10/20/09

EFCC, CBN Apparently Have Sinister Agenda Against Cecilia Ibru.   

The trial process of embattled Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Oceanic Bank, Mrs Cecilia Ibru sponsored by EFCC and CBN is nothing but reckless attempts that can only be described as extra-judicial and uncharitable way of prosecuting allegation of commission of crime.

The manner these agents of Nigerian government have been spiritedly driving Mrs. Ibru into public ridicule by mounting unfavourable media propaganda against her with tax payers money has made it obvious that they have sinister agenda against Mrs. Ibru and it as well amount to a flagrant abuse of judicial process for the two government agencies to strategically pass a judgement of guilt on Mrs. Ibru, while the matter against her was still pending in a court of law.

As a lawyer and citizen of the realm one is not only disappointed against these mean-spirited called media hype and propaganda against Mrs Ibru particularly when Mrs. Ibru had proved to be a law abiding citizen of the country by giving herself up for probe.

It is worrisome that these dishonourable and dishonest measures are only geared towards whipping public sentiments against a citizen of Nigerian to the detriment of her avowed resolution to ensure that the court determines the spurious allegation against her while maintaining the expected decorum in the circumstances.

The measures against her so far are nothing but extra-judicial and uncharitable way to ensure that Mrs. Ibru is painted black having been publicly adjudged guilty by these government agencies before her trial despite the universal constitutional provision of presumption of innocence.

The CBN and EFCC are therefore urged to stop forthwith the current media war and public persecution against Dr. Cecilia Ibru as these measures are not only subjective, lopsided but constitute persecution, abuse of principle of prosecution and contempt of the court.

Every efforts should be made to maintain all recognised universal standard and the government agencies should rather await the judicial process to take its full course, if at all they were sincere in their actions, stressing as it is needless attempting to kill a fly with a sledge hammer, more so when it was obvious that Mrs. Ibru was not bereft of facts and figures she can tender in her self defence in the court of law.

Mrs. Ibru had contributed her quota and will continue to contribute same to the development of the banking sector in Nigeria, having raised Oceanic Bank Plc. to a great height, where as it was her track record in that regard and the proofs she has in her self defence that made her shun the option to run away and avoid arrest and rather give herself up for investigation.

By KAYODE AJULO*

*Kayode Ajulo is one of the counsel to Dr. (Mrs.) Cecilia Ibru