‘Nigerians Must Begin To Take Hard Decisions’ – Lawyers Drags EFCC Chairman To UN, UK Amid Yahaya Bello Case

A coalition of legal representatives has initiated proceedings against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede.

They have petitioned international bodies such as the United Nations, United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union to investigate the EFCC chairman’s alleged disregard for court orders and breach of constitutional rights.

During a briefing held on Friday in Abuja, the lawyers accused the EFCC boss of openly flouting legitimate court orders and violating the constitutional rights of Nigerians.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Emmanuel Agada stated that the team has already initiated steps to impose a visa ban on Olukoyede if he persists in infringing upon the rights of citizens, as he purportedly did to former Governor Yahaya Bello.

Agada mentioned that the legal team is also contemplating the possibility of blocking international funding and assistance to the EFCC if Olukoyede persists in his current course of action.

The statement reads: “As young lawyers, we envisage a judiciary where justice is not only done but manifestly seen to be done. It is in our patriotic quest to always pursue ventures that guarantee an independent judiciary that dispenses justice without fear nor Favour that we formed this civil society of lawyers.

“It is in the pursuit of this mandate that we have written to the United Nations High Commission For Human Rights, the United States of America, through its embassy in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, through its Nigerian embassy and the European Union as bastions of democracy and Human Rights to investigate the flagrant disregard of a valid Court Order and breach of constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens by the EFCC chairman, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede and caution him.

“As you know, we have already written to Mr. President who has started on a good trajectory and began to enjoy the massive support of overwhelming majority of Nigerians, to call the EFCC chairman in order not to allow his desperation to use the institution to pursue political objectives to bring this administration to public odium and opprobrium.

“In our petition to the above mentioned bodies, we were strong in our call for the EFCC chairman to be cautioned and should he continue to disregard Court Orders and Injunctions, and trample on the rights of Nigerian citizens, the way he did against former Governor Yahaya Bello, a comprehensive and total Visa Ban must be implemented and international organizations who support the commission via funding must be enjoined to stop forthwith until the commission purges itself of every unconstitutional approach in exercising their constitutional mandate.

“We are aware that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) provides expertise, guidance and support to UN human rights teams. These teams have recorded huge success in many countries through coordinated human rights sustainability initiatives. It is why we have called for their intervention to help strengthen our institutions and safeguard human rights and dignity of Nigerian citizens.

“Nigerians must begin to take hard decisions to shape our country and its institutions for the better. We must not allow individuals to corrupt the very institutions that brought so much reprieve when corruption ate deep into the very fabrics of our existence.

“Our main objective as lawyers is to push for the respect of the judiciary and stronger institutions whose mandate will never be dictated by political or social affiliations.”

The post ‘Nigerians Must Begin To Take Hard Decisions’ – Lawyers Drags EFCC Chairman To UN, UK Amid Yahaya Bello Case appeared first on Naija News.