BEVERLY HILLS, September 06, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday decried the leak of names of high-profile Nigerians purportedly under its investigation, stating that the exposure has done damage to its work.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen; former Finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Steel and Mines Development, Kayode Fayemi, and Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state and up to 100 others were recently reported as being in the radar of the EFCC over alleged cases of corruption.
Their investigation was said to have been instigated by petitions, whistle blowers as well as through intelligence gathering. The newapaper report added that the list was said to have been sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, by the EFCC.
Insisting that the information was not divulged by it, the anti-graft agency stated that the leak had done damage to the commission’s investigation because most of the cases were still at the preliminary stage.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said, “It is important to state that this report did not emanate from the EFCC and the allusion to ‘an EFCC source’ is diversionary and mischievous.
“For the avoidance of doubt, cases under investigation communicated to the office of the attorney-general of the federation by the commission are classified information and it is troubling how such would be leaked to the media.”
Uwujaren, in a statement issued by him, also made it clear that the anti-graft agency was not investigating Onnoghen and Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court.
“The mastermind of this leak is out to create disaffection between the commission and, particularly, the judiciary. The commission wishes to state categorically that it is currently not investigating Justices Onnoghen and Kafarati.
“While Onnoghen was being considered for his present position, the commission received some petitions which were investigated and found to be without merit and discarded.
“Indeed, much damage has been done to the commission’s investigation activities by this leak especially as some of the cases mentioned are still at preliminary stages of investigation,” the statement read in part.
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