The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has said that it will
launch a probe into the activities of the 38 Soldiers, who were
compulsorily retired by the Nigerian Army.
The soldiers were retired last week by the military authorities following
allegation of fraud in the arms deal.
EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, stated this when a human rights group, Human
Rights and Anti-Corruption Advocacy Centre protested to the commission in
Abuja on Monday 20the June 2016, demanding the probe of the soldiers.
Magu, told the protesters that his office will look into their demands.
Represented by Mr. Osita Nwajah, Director in charge of publicity of the
commission, he said the chairman will do justice to all the petition that
comes before him and added that the oone brought by the right group will
not be an exception.
Magu said, “We commend the Human Rights and Advocacy Centre for leading
the war against corruption. The war is total and it is not limited to
individuals or organisations. It is not limited to any professional group.
It is for every Nigerian.
“We are very encouraged by this solidarity visit and the request you have
made. The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, a man of courage, who has
demostrated this by the mandate Nigerians gave him, will do justice to
every petition that comes before him. This petition you have brought
before him will not be an exception”, he said.
Leaders of the rights group, Adah Douglas and Barrister Oboh John, who
spoke on behalf of the group at the anti-graft agency’s office said the
Nigerian Army have taken a stand and therefore have no reason to doubt
them that the sack of top corrupt army officers is timely and inevitable
having been carried out in accordance with the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20,
Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The group told the EFCC chairman that the proper thing the Federal
Government of Nigeria ought to have done ab initio is to outrightly
dismiss the affected officers and hand them over to the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission for prosecution, particularly due to their
involvement in the defence procurement fraud. “This would have paved way
for recovery of billions of naira and serve as deterrence to other
criminally minded public officials. We are even more worried by the
emerging facts that the sacked officers are hell bent on using their
illegally acquired wealth to disrupt the fragile peace we are presently
enjoying in Nigeria”.
The group demanded that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
should as a matter of urgency arrest the sacked army officers and activate
Sections 28, 29 and 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(Establishment) Act, 2004 by tracing and attaching all their assets and
properties as well as freezing their bank accounts in the interim.
They also demanded, “That the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
should press charges of corruption and economic crimes against the sacked
army officers. When they are eventually convicted, the Commission should
ensure the confiscation and forfeiture of their illegally acquired assets
and properties to the Federal Government of Nigeria pursuant to Section 30
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.
“That Mr. President must be wary of the monstrous plans by the sacked
officers in conjunction with other top officers hiding within the military
and paramilitary to throw Nigeria into unimaginable crisis. Every attempt
to truncate our democracy and return Nigeria to the dark days of military
rule must be resisted.
“That all local and international sister Civil Society Organizations must
brace up to the challenges of wrestling Nigeria out of the greedy hands of
the sacked “officers” who in their hay days in service were actually
“politicians”. The quest for justice for the innocent souls lost to the
dreaded Boko Haram sect as a result of corruption and ineptitude of these
shenanigans must be sustained”.
The protesters, numbering about 500 marched to the Unity Fountain where
they held a sit out after which they expressed their desire to occupy the
EFCC headquarters after one week, if the commission fails to act.