A pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerias, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to release Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State and re-invite him when the anti-graft commission has prepared charges to file against him in court.
In an e-mailed statement to The Trent on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, signed by Deji Adeyanju, the convener of the group, Concerned Nigerians accused the EFCC of selective investigation and prosecution of suspects based on partisanship.
“Concerned Nigerians, a pro-Democracy group committed to Accountability and Transparency in government has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to extend the same treatment that was given to former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal to Former Governor Ayodele Fayose,” the statement opened.
“We are amazed that the former Secretary to the government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal Who was accused of misappropriation of public funds was summarily invited to the Commission’s office and subsequently released without charging him to court or even spending a night in detention.
“It is therefore baffling that the former governor who voluntarily submitted himself to the commission for investigation spent the night in an EFCC cells and is being detained arbitrarily while the Former SGF is walking free. We condemn in its entirety, this sort of selective justice.
“You would recall that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawal was suspended and subsequently fired for allegedly violating the law and due process in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE),” the group said.
The group further stated that these politically driven trials of dissents and perceived political enemies of President Buhari’s administration are ludicrous and must stop forthwith.
“Finally, we are also amazed that the EFCC that had shown great appetite to feast on Fayose are suddenly claiming not to have enough evidence to approach the court until he Fayose implicates himself,” the statement read.
“We call on the Anti-graft agency to their already established trend of selective justice.
“The commission should, therefore, release Fayose just like they did with Babachir Lawal since it appears they are not yet ready to charge him to court.
“They should have waited to conclude their investigation before inviting him to explain and defend himself,” the statement ended.
